Review: THE COVE by Ron Rash

A couple of WWI Reading Challenge in 2012 participants have read and reviewed The Cove by Ron Rash.  Check out what they had to say.

Layers of Thought said:

With a style that is reminiscent of some of my favorite classic American authors such as Willa Cather and John Steinbeck, the author gives the reader a feel for a rural setting within the US where one can experience the daily life of the people detailed within the story. He uses the language of the natives in these mountains, with their special dialect and its slow simplicity; very effective for helping the reader to feel like they are there.

Read the full review.

Here’s a snippet from Lit and Life:

Rash never loses control of his large cast and when their diverse paths begin to come together, it feels natural. His characters are both astounding and utterly ordinary and believable. Rash masterfully addresses small town prejudices, patriotism and propaganda, and hope against all odds. The book has it’s flaws, to be sure. Some characters could have been developed more, others less.

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**Attention participants: Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Review: THE RETURN OF THE SOLDIER by Rebecca West

The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West also was reviewed by a few WWI Reading Challenge in 2012 participants.

Check out what Scrappy Cat had to say:

He doesn’t remember his wife and believes he is in love with an innkeeper’s daughter he hasn’t seen in 15 years.  It is a quick read – only 87 pages – and a good story.

Read the full review.

Here’s an excerpt from Jules’ Book Reviews:

The book wasn’t my favourite, while I enjoyed the writing style and how the story was told, I found myself bored with the story at times, and annoyed by the characters at other times. It did do a good job at showing what happens to a shell shocked soldier from WWI, but I wanted something more from the book.

Read the full review.

**Attention participants: Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Review: A DUTY TO THE DEAD by Charles Todd

A few of the WWI Reading Challenge in 2012 participants have read A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd.

Here’s an excerpt from Impressions in Ink:

I have fallen head over heels in love with this writing team.
I love the use of rich descriptive words such as frothy, cheeky, and hurt like six devils.
I loved the steady crescendo of story, it is gradual…not a story with high peaks or shallow valleys.
I loved the interesting characters.

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Here’s an excerpt from The Written World:

The fact that this one was centred around a female nurse, Bess Crawford, during WWI immediately caught my attention. I am a huge fan of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series, so I am always looking for series of that same nature.

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Here’s a snippet from Bitter Tea and Mystery:

For me, the main attraction of this book is the picture it gives us of life during World War I in England. The main character, Bess Crawford, is a nurse on the Britannic, a hospital ship, when it sinks. She survives, but an injury forces her return to England on leave.

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Here’s a sample from Victoria Janssen:

Though the overall tone was dark and serious, there were still touches of humor, which I really appreciated.

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Here’s an excerpt from Scrappy Cat:

I enjoyed it much more than I expected – I don’t usually read mysteries, although I grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries (didn’t all girls?).  It’s the first in a series, so I may just have to read more.

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**Attention participants: Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Review: STRANGE MEETING by Susan Hill

Page Plucker recently read and reviewed Strange Meeting by Susan Hill for the WWI Reading Challenge in 2012.  Here’s an excerpt:

The descriptions of the war itself are as you’d expect, and emphasise the dreadful waste of human life and the futility of it all. However, the focus is always on the two men and how it changes them rather than the war itself.

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**Attention participants: Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Review: DREAMERS OF THE DAY by Mary Doria Russell

Becky’s Book Reviews recently read and reviewed Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell for the WWI Reading Challenge in 2012.  Here’s an excerpt:

There were a few things that I just loved about Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. For example, I loved the first few chapters. Readers see the impact of World War I and the ‘Spanish’ influenza on our heroine, Miss Agnes Shanklin. She truly lost everyone. Her mother. Her sister. Her brother-in-law. Her two nephews. Her brother. These chapters spent describing both the war and the influenza were truly fascinating.

Read the full review.

**Attention participants: Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Review: THE GREAT INFLUENZA by John M. Barry

Becky’s Book Reviews recently read and reviewed The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry for the WWI Reading Challenge in 2012.  Here’s an excerpt:

While I’m not sure every reader will find The Great Influenza equally compelling, I must say that this one was quite the read for me! It was fascinating, challenging, and complex–complex in a good way. The Great Influenza is more than the story of the 1918/1919 influenza pandemic that spread around the world. It covers the background of medicine, how medicine is practiced, how doctors are trained and educated, how schools and laboratories are run, the need for excellence not just competence.

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**Attention participants: Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Review: THE PENGUIN BOOK OF FIRST WORLD WAR POETRY edited by Jon Silkin

Diary of an Eccentric recently read and reviewed The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry edited by Jon Silkin for the WWI Reading Challenge in 2012.  Here’s an excerpt:

There are so many poems in The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry that it’s impossible to mention them all, but there are some common themes throughout the collection.  Religion and patriotism come to mind right away.  These poems also touch upon a soldier’s disillusionment and the sadness and the anger that rise to the surface when they begin to question why they are fighting.

Read the full review.

**Attention participants: Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Review: TO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE by Jean Giono

Beauty is a Sleeping Cat recently read and reviewed To the Slaughterhouse by Jean Giono for the WWI Reading Challenge in 2012.  Here’s an excerpt:

There are so many different ways to write about war. Some novels focus on the experience of the soldier, some will focus on what the civilians go through, some move back and forth between the front lines and the home front. While Jean Giono’s Le grand troupeau - To the Slaughterhouse does move back and forth, the book is still completely different from anything else that I have read so far.

Giono’s technique does need some getting used to. What he describes is equally beautiful and horrifying. The result may very well be one of the most radical anti-war books that I have read.

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**Attention participants: Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Review: A TEST OF WILLS by Charles Todd

A Book A Week recently read and reviewed A Test of Wills by Charles Todd for the WWI Reading Challenge in 2012.  Here’s an excerpt:

This book was so boring I can barely summon the energy to write about it. I really wanted it to be good because I am craving a good mystery. I was also in the mood to read more about Britain in the WWI era, having just finished watching Downton Abbey on TV. Alas, this book was not even as good as Downton Abbey, which, despite its clunky plotting and lack of chemistry between the stars, at least provided some good eye candy in the way of houses, clothes, and atmosphere.

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**Attention participants: Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**

Review: LADY ALMINA AND THE REAL DOWNTON ABBEY by The Countess of Carnarvon

Impressions In Ink recently read and reviewed Lady Almina and the Real Downtown Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon for the WWI Reading Challenge in 2012.  Here’s an excerpt:

There were two additional points in this book that I was pleasantly happy to read about:
1. Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.
2. Extensive World War I history, including Lady Almina’s nursing work during this period.

Read the full review.

**Attention participants: Remember to email us a link to your reviews, and we’ll post them here so we can see what everyone is reading!**