Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie

Genre: Nonfiction, Military History

Setting: During World War II, in Boot Camp at Parris Island, and on various islands in the Pacific theater of the war.

First Sentence. A cutting wind slanted up Church Street in the cheerless dawn of January 5, 1942.

This memoir of the Marines during the Pacific campaign was used as source material for the HBO miniseries The Pacific.

War looks different depending upon your point of view.  For the folks back home the sanitized version of the war was all about glory and heroism.  For the generals and admirals, the war was strategy, tactics, battles, and casualty reports.  But for the Marines on the front lines the war was mud and blood and rain and just staying alive.

In his memoir, Robert Leckie shows us what being a front line Marine was like during World War II.

At Parris Island, the tough Old Breed of veteran noncoms tried to prepare Leckie and his buddies for the hardships of war.

At Guadalcanal, the Marines faced a fearsome foe.  The Japanese soldiers were experienced and well trained.  They fought hard and would never surrender.

At New Britain, the jungle and the rain became the enemy.  The jungle was filled with noxious plants, poisonous insects, and trees called widow-makers.  The rain was never ending.  It destroyed equipment and rotted the clothes off of the Marines' bodies.

At Peleliu, the Marines payed a horrific price in sweat and blood for a small desolate lump of coral.

Through it all, the Marines fought hard.  In the time between the battles, during the unending days and weeks of ennui, the Marines blew off steam.  They went AWOL.  They got drunk.  They got in fights. And some spent time in the brig.  Sometimes, they stole some of the officers supplies.  (Leckie and his buddies had little respect for the officers.)  For what punishment could be worse than the realities of every day life for the Marines on the front lines.

In the end, we, like Leckie, are left to ponder the value of the loss of so many lives.

I truly enjoyed this book.  It was written an an easy to read style.  For me, it was a page turner.  The pages flew by and it was like Bob Leckie was there with me telling war stories.

In my opinion this was a great read.

                                                               

Hard Duty by Mark E. Cooper

Genre: Science Fiction

Setting: In the future, on interplanetary space vehicles, and on alien planets.

First Sentence: Captain to the bridge!

This novel is the first in Cooper's Merkiaari Wars series.

Humanity's first contact with an alien civilization, the Merkiaari, did not go well.  In the ensuing war, many planets were destroyed along with countless human lives.

So now, when the alliance's explorers discover another sentient species, the new species is watched very carefully.

The explorers discover that the Shan are an interesting and relatively peaceful people.  Unfortunately, they too have been attacked by the hated Merkiaari.  The humans and the Shan take some time learning to trust each other.

Then the unthinkable happens.  The Merkiaari attack again.  Will the humans and the Shan survive this onslaught by the murderous Merkiaari?

When I began reading this book, I was somewhat confused.  The author jumped around between characters and plot lines which seemed unrelated to each other.  Then I discovered that this book is a prequel to the rest of the series.  While this novel is interesting and well written, it would probably be better understood after reading some of the other books in the series.

Interesting characters and an easy to read style made this novel and enjoyable read.

I liked it.

                                            

Eight For Eternity by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer

Genre: Historical Mystery

Setting:  Constantinople, in January 532 AD

First Sentence:  The condemned man narrowed his eyes against the January sun, a brilliant translucent disk suspended in the early morning mist.

This novel is the eighth in Reed and Mayer's John the Lord Chamberlain mystery series.  This series currently extends to ten novels.

This novel was a very confusing read for me.  The action in this novel occurs before the beginning of the series.  There was no warning of this.  I was expecting the novel to pick up after the seventh novel.  So, I was very confused for the first few chapters.  A little warning in the prolog or the dust jacket blurb would have been appreciated.

In January of 532 AD in Constantinople there was an uprising.  Mobs of people were rioting.  Many wanted to depose the Emperor Justinian.

Amid the chaos, John (who is not the Lord chamberlain, but an assistant chamberlain) is tasked by the emperor to solve the murder of two men.  John spends most of the novel wandering around Constantinople trying to discover who committed the murder.  Compared to the number of deaths caused by the riot, the deaths of two men doesn't seem that important.  However, John begins to feel that the murders, and the uprising are somehow connected.

Will John unravel the mystery?

In my opinion, this novel is not the best of the series.  For me, it was a difficult read.

                                              

Seven for a Secret by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer

Genre: Historical Mystery

Setting: Constantinople, during the reign of the Emperor Justinian in the mid sixth century.

First Sentence: For once, the girl in the wall mosaic did not reply to the Lord Chamberlain's question.

This novel is the seventh in Reed and Mayer's John the Lord Chamberlain Mystery Series.

Unlike most high ranking government officials, John lives a relatively austere life.  He lives  with his lady and one servant.  His modest home once belonged to a tax collector.  On the wall of the study the tax collector had commissioned a beautiful mosaic.

Depicted in the mosaic is a young girl, the daughter of the tax collector.  John calls her Zoe.  When he has a difficult problem to solve, John talks to the enigmatic girl in the mosaic.

Then one day, a woman reveals that she is Zoe, the tax collector's daughter.  But before John has a chance to talk more with her, he finds her murdered body.

So, John begins investigating her death.  He soon learns that intrigue and rumor run rampant through out the palace.  Parts of his life, which he thought were personal, are widely known by many.

Soon John's investigations lead him to plots which endanger him, his family, and the empire itself.

What will John discover as he tries to find justice for Zoe?

The setting of Constantinople in the waning days of the Roman Empire makes this series a unique read.  John's position as one of the most powerful people in the empire definitely aids his investigations.  In my opinion, John is a great character who uses his power wisely in the pursuit of justice.

I enjoyed this novel.  It is a great addition to a unique and interesting series.  I'll be reading the next book in the series soon.

                    

Bloody Lessons by M. Louisa Locke

Genre: Historical Mystery

Setting: San Francisco, California in the year 1880.

First Sentence: Laura Dawson surveyed the row of long division problems she had written on the black board.

This novel is the third installment in Locke's Victorian San Francisco Mystery series.  Along with the three novels there are four short stories featuring  some of the minor characters in the series.

In this novel we have a group of friends attempting to unravel clues to determine the cause of someone's death.  But, this novel has another mystery: Why is this group of friends so unwilling to share their thoughts and feelings with each other?  When one of them discovers an important clue, or piece of evidence, their first reaction is to keep it to themselves.  As the characters discuss the facts they do share, they often come to obviously (to the reader) incorrect conclusions.  Because of this, the novel becomes, in my opinion, a frustrating read.

In this installment of the series, we have a group of teachers who have received libelous letters.  Some one wants to destroy their reputations. When one of the teachers suffers a fatal fall our main character, Annie Fuller, begins to investigate. Along with managing her boarding house and the investigation, Annie must also manage her feelings for her beau Nate.

Will Annie discover the author of the threatening letters?

Will she discover the true cause of the teacher's death?

And, will Annie finally be true to herself and express her true feelings toward Nate?

I enjoy reading about Locke's interesting cast of characters.  Through them we get a peek into the lives of San Franciscans in the late nineteenth century.  I look forward to the next novel in the series.

                     

A Matter of Honor by William C. Hammond

Genre: Nautical Fiction, Historical Fiction

Setting: At sea, in England and France during the American Revolution.

First Sentence: Richard Cutler drew aside the flaps of the oilskin cloak draped around his shoulders and stared down in disbelief at his watch.

This novel is the first in the five novel Cutler Family Chronicles.

It is the great age of sail.  The last few years of the of the eighteenth century have been glamorized in literature as the time of the great fictional naval captains: Hornblower, Ramage, and Bolitho among many others.  Now we can add an American hero to the list.

Richard Cutler is the son of an American merchant.  Richard learns about the sea serving aboard his father's ships.  When the revolution begins, he signs on as a midshipman aboard one of the few U. S. Navy vessels.  It so happens that the ship is captained by the famous American naval captain John Paul Jones.

Cutler is eager to fight the British.  While he believes in the cause of independence, he also wants revenge for the death of his older brother who was killed at the hands of the British.

As the story develops, Cutler is involved in several exciting battles.  He experiences love with two very different women.  And he meets some of the greatest luminaries of the American revolution.

Hammond tells his tale with a unique writing style.  The story narrative will leap over an important piece of information.  Later, Hammond will flash back to reveal the hidden detail.  I found that this writing style kept me engaged with the story.

I am a fan of nautical fiction set during the Napoleonic Wars.  I feel that this novel compares well with the other novels in this genre.  The battle scenes were realistic and exciting.  And life aboard a Navy vessel was portrayed accurately.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.  If you are a fan of Hornblower, Ramage and Bolitho you'll like this series.

                             

Supervolcano: Things Fall Apart by Harry Turtledove

Genre: Fiction

Setting: A few years into the future,  after the eruption of the Yellowstone volcanic caldera.

First Sentence: The windup alarm clock on Colin Ferguson's nightstand ticked like a bomb.

This novel is the third in Turtledove's Supervolcano series.  The books in this series are a departure from Turtledove's usual novels.

In this novel Turtledove tells the story of the Ferguson family: their lives, their loves, and how they deal with the results of the supervolcano eruption.

The eruption has completely changed the climate of the earth.  It is colder.  The economy is shattered.  Food is harder to come by.  And technology is slowly falling apart due to age and overuse.

I don't consider this novel to be dystopian. Apart from the bad weather life is pretty much like life today.  Bad things happen.  Good things happen.  Each character adapts and moves on.

Some of the plot lines in this novel are continued from previous books in the series.  I suggest reading the books in order.

The novels are written in a breezy style with lots of word play and pop references.  Probably a fun beach read.  But not Turtledove's best.