Friday Five (3)

1. Today is my Daddy's 50th Birthday!!! We had a big party a few weeks ago but we will go out as a family for dinner tonight. Sammie will be sure to enjoy it - she has been telling every one Happy Birthday for weeks after the party...she will finally have someone to really wish Happy Birthday to today!

2. Sammie has a peanut allergy (which also means we avoid all tree nuts) so Brett made this amazing brownie/peanut butter cake concoction but used sunflower butter instead of peanut butter and let me tell you...it tastes even better than a Reece's peanut butter cup. Amazing!

3. This week has been a very stressful week at work - I am desperately looking forward to 4:30 for a weekend.

4. I may have a slight major addiction to the Words With Friends game. It combines my undying love of Scrabble with my newly minted love for the iPhone. Perfection!

5. I am supposed to be on a book buying freeze because I have spent a ton of money in the past few months on books...far outside my usual budgeted amount. BUT, I really want Perfect Fifth's - the last book in the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty. I am at the bottom of a very long list on Paperback Swap too. Sadness. Anyone have a copy they wouldn't mind parting with? :)

Review: Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Format: E-book
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

From Goodreads: Roman historian Procopius publicly praised Theodora of Constantinople for her piety-while secretly detailing her salacious stage act and maligning her as ruthless and power hungry. So who was this woman who rose from humble beginnings as a dancer to become the empress of Rome and a saint in the Orthodox Church? Award-winning novelist Stella Duffy vividly recreates the life and times of a woman who left her mark on one of the ancient world's most powerful empires. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore is a sexy, captivating novel that resurrects an extraordinary, little-known figure from the dusty pages of history.

My review: This book was a fascinating tale of poor girl on the rough side of town who rises to the top of the Royal family. I enjoyed reading along her life’s story. Her years as an actress and whore were colorful with descriptions and darkened with the roughness of her teacher. Her brains kept her thinking ahead, understanding her profession was short-lived as she aged.

As her life took the new turn towards monogamy I was hopeful for her future, but cautious for her. Even so when what I expected to happen came to be, I was still saddened for her. The next chapter in her life took her towards religion and a more reserved life – yet she never quite left her fiery personality behind. For this I was glad because that is what I liked most about her.

The later portion of the book was my favorite. There were fights between the Royal’s and her lowly beginnings, but also true friendships blossoming. The romance between her and Justinian is written beautifully, full of heart and real companionship. Her hopefulness in life grew as their relationship grew for he truly cared for her and not just what she could bring him or do for his career.

As much as I enjoyed the story there was a major drawback for me – I didn’t feel that I was in the past while reading the story. The writing was beautiful and included the appropriate historical lingo and labels, but the feel of the text was too modern for me. I kept having to remind myself this story was set in the long ago past. Overall, this book provided a glimpse into a time I have not ever read about, with a deep romance included.

Review: Second Helpings (Jessica Darling #2) by Megan McCafferty

Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Release Date: April 22, 2003
Format: Paperback
Pages: 357
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads: “Knowing that I’ve just done something that will take decades off my parents’ lives with worry, you’ll excuse me for not getting into the fa-la-la-la-la Yuletide spirit this year. . . . The only difference between Christmas 2001 and Christmas 2000 is that I don’t have a visit from Hope to look forward to. And Bethany has already packed on some major fetal flab. Oh, and now Gladdie doesn’t need to ask a bizillion questions about my boyfriend, because she’s already gotten the dirt from you know who.”

Jessica Darling is up in arms again in this much-anticipated, hilarious sequel to Sloppy Firsts. This time, the hyperobservant, angst-ridden teenager is going through the social and emotional ordeal of her senior year at Pineville High. Not only does the mysterious and oh-so-compelling Marcus Flutie continue to distract Jessica, but her best friend, Hope, still lives in another state, and she can’t seem to escape the clutches of the Clueless Crew, her annoying so-called friends. To top it off, Jessica’s parents won’t get off her butt about choosing a college, and her sister Bethany’s pregnancy is causing a big stir in the Darling household.


My review: This book starts out in a summer camp, but not the normal kind – that wouldn’t fit for Jessica Darling after all. While different, the smartie-pants summer camp gave Jessica Darling the same thing many teens get out of summer camp – a taste of freedom and bigger dreams. Jessica knows she is going to an Ivy League college but her experience at this camp is altering how she views her college options, but she might have some parental opposition. This book encompassed the senior year of high school feel for me to a level of perfection. The fear, the excitement and the absolute thrill of looking at adulthood and college brings. Jessica grapples with the first of many major life decisions trying to decide what is right for her in her heart of hearts.

Oh Marcus Flutie – you may have redeemed your erratic teenage boy moments from Sloppy Firsts in this book. I must admit I swooned a bit over him – I can’t wait to see how his impact on the plot and Jessica continues with the next book. And finally – a character I wanted to know better finally made an extra special appearance! I am not spilling the beans here but have to say – finally!

Tot Tuesday: And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (Illustrator)

Welcome to Tot Tuesday – a weekly feature where I review and share a children’s book. Children’s books are such a big part of my life now that I want to share them for other parents, grandparents or anyone who buys a child a book with the hope of instilling a lifelong love of reading.

The books I review and share are generally books from my daughter’s bookshelves and her library selections. She generally selects library books by a very technical method of grabbing every book in her reach and shoving them into the bag we bring with us. Thus, each week will be a surprising post.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (Illustrator) - I chose this book as this week's Tot Tuesday for the simple fact that it is Banned Books Week and this book has been challenged. Two male penguins fall in love and attempt to raise a baby penguin from a little rock. They are following what all the other penguin couples do - keep it warm and protect it from the world. The zookeeper sees this and replaces the rock with a real penguin egg. When the penguin hatches they are a happy family of three.

Sweet story, right? WRONG if you are a person in favor of banning books. See, the whole two Father's thing is teaching immoral behavior - that gay couples are acceptable.

This is a completely non-fiction story - this little penguin egg was cared for my two loving people who just happen to both be male. The fact that people want this obviously rich in love book out of children's hands makes me very sad...and very angry. This is why we have read this book to Sammie multiple times already and when she is more gentle with paper pages we will buy this book for her. It will be an example of how love comes in so many colors, shapes, genders and sizes - and how we should embrace them all!

Review: Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling #1) by Megan McCafferty

Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Release Date: August 28, 2011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 298
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads: “My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don’t they realize that Hope’s the only one who keeps me sane? . . . I don’t see how things could get any worse.”

When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy- and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?

A fresh, funny, utterly compelling fiction debut by first-time novelist Megan McCafferty, Sloppy Firsts is an insightful, true-to-life look at Jessica’s predicament as she embarks on another year of teenage torment--from the dark days of Hope’s departure through her months as a type-A personality turned insomniac to her completely mixed-up feelings about Marcus Flutie, the intelligent and mysterious “Dreg” who works his way into her heart. Like a John Hughes for the twenty-first century, Megan McCafferty taps into the inherent humor and drama of the teen experience. This poignant, hilarious novel is sure to appeal to readers who are still going through it, as well as those who are grateful that they don’t have to go back and grow up all over again.

My review: A bunch of girls from my online book club have been raving about the Jessica Darling series for years and years…I just never found myself interested in reading them. Well, Megan McCafferty recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of Sloppy Firsts so I decided to give them a try. It turns out it was a good decision!

The first thing I have to say about this series is that it is full of real – real language from teens, real scenarios on lying, sex, drugs and alcohol. I think this is what makes this series so great. It may seem a bit in your face at first, but if you have been a teenager recently or know teenagers – this is reality. Talking about wanting to have sex, drinking and the culture wars that exist in the high school lunch room – these are the issues facing many teens and this book didn’t sugar coat them.

The story of Jessica is really the story of a teen, trying to find somewhere to fit in after her BFF moves away and she is faced with the reality that she has changed as she grew up. The friends she had in elementary school don’t really reflect her interests and opinions anymore, but she doesn’t have someone to really fill the void in her heart. Enter Marcus Flutie – I didn’t really get him in this book, I will share, but in the next book I started to understand him a bit more.

I am continuing the series in the coming months because I am curious to see how Jessica’s life progresses and what stories she has to share.

Bookish: Banned Books Week

(I'm typing this using the Blogger app on my iPhone so if the formatting wonky, I apologize.)

Today marks the start of the 2011 Banned Books Week! I'm a huge anti-censorship person so I love this week. I planned on a whole weekly theme here on the blog, but real life happened so you only get a few posts here and there during the week.

Living in the Midwest things like censorship are regular occurrences (the recent Springfield MO banning for example) so I've had a lot of stories to base my opinions on. My biggest issue isn't that people don't want their kids to read certain material, but that in many cases (most really) the parents haven't even READ the book in question! How can you judge without reading it?

Next, I wish parents would open their eyes to what teens talk and think about - sex is s lot of it!! If only these parents would pick up the book and read it alongside their children. It could be such a great tool to foster conversation!!

Getting off my soapbox now, I thought I would share a few ways I share my support of BBW!

First, the lovely banned books bracelet. I have the children's titles but would love the adult title bracelet too!

I also have a shirt I wear around the house (but I can't seem to find a photo of it online) so it's basically the same as this pin, only a shirt.

And while searching for the shirt photo - I ran across this. I need this for Sammie!

How do you support Banned Books Week? Any other products I need to have in honor of this week?

Friday Five (2)

1. I have a three day weekend! That means today I am going to be a busy bee - grocery shopping, getting Sammie some fall/winter clothes and running by the bank. I'm hoping I can squeeze in some reading time before I pick up Sammie from daycare.

2. Fall is here people! We have already had a handful of nights by the fire, both Brett and I with books in our hands. I love this time of year!

3. I really need to work on commenting on blogs more...I feel awful that I don't comment very much but my time is short. Yet, I want to foster this whole book blogging community so I'm going to try to be better at commenting in the future.

4. My friend Jacki needs some help with her beautiful bookshelves. So, go read her post and let her know what you think...well, once you have stopped drooling over her shelves that is.

5. My online book club does seasonal challenges and our fall challenge starts October 1st! I am unbelievable excited about this challenge this time around. I only participate in one or two a year because more than that makes my reading feel to structured and my competitiveness kicks in. I half participated in the Spring Challenge but I am ready to jump both feet in the FBC!

Review: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Publisher: Anchor
Release Date: January 20, 1997
Format: Paperback
Pages: 207
Source: Borrowed from my parents

From Goodreads: Admitting an interest that borders on obsession, Krakauer searches for the clues to the drives and desires that propelled 24-year-old Chris McCandless to leave civilization behind and head into the remote Alaskan wilderness. Four months later, McCandless's emaciated corpse was found at his campsite by a hunter. Mesmerizing and heartbreaking, Krakauer's powerful and luminous storytelling blaze through every page.

My review: After finishing this book, I wanted to pack up my family and hit the road to try out the nomadic life. Then I realized that I would have to use public restrooms all the time and the dream faded. But this book did bring up a desire to spend some more time outdoors, feel the earth and be in awe of the beauty that is our natural world. I couldn’t wander the globe as Jon Krakauer or Christopher McCandless both did but I enjoyed reading along with their journeys. The Christopher McCandless portions of the book were both fascinating and disturbing, especially knowing that he died in Alaska. I could see the way in which he blatantly went into something without enough training or supplied but I could also admire his deeply held love of nature and for doing it on his own.

Jon Krakauer weaves a non-fiction tale into a beautiful story, full of colorful descriptions of scenery and the words from those that Christopher touched during his travels. Perhaps the most haunting of this book was reading the words that Christopher himself had written via his journals that Krakauer included throughout the pages. You can hear his words and feel the emotion as he wrote it – very powerful.

This book isn’t limited to just those that enjoy reading non-fiction or have any climbing and other winter activity interests. It is so much more than that and thus, applies to a broader range of readers. It is a story of a young man who did what most consider unthinkable – he took his life in his own hands and lived within the Alaska bush. This aspect and Krakauer’s writing style should keep the interest of a reader who normally doesn’t read non-fiction.

Review: Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle

Publisher: Dutton Books
Release Date: May 14, 2009
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 289
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads: Wealth, privilege, and way too many pastel-tinted opinions...that's Carly's life. And guess what? It's. Getting. On. Her. Nerves.

Carly wants to be real, and she's always counted on her little sister, Anna, to lover her and support her—and tell her how right she is. But when Anna turns "hot" over the course of a single summer, everything goes weird. Suddenly Anna's swimming in the deep end with the big girls—while Carly watches, hurt, from the kiddie pool. And of course there are boys involved, complicating things as boys always do.

With warmth, insight, and an unparalleled gift for finding humor even in stormy situations, beloved author Lauren Myracle dives into the tumultuous waters of sisterhood and shows that even very different sisters can learn to help each other stay afloat.

My review: This is going to be a shorter review because this book didn’t leave a huge impact on me. It was cute, but maybe a little over the top with the descriptions of the wealthy area and people the characters lived around. For a teenager, the detail may have sounded appropriate but at the same time it just didn’t sound that way. I did enjoy that this book was set in Georgia as I started reading it on the way home from Decatur Book Fest. The area was still fresh in my mind and it did connect me to the story.

I think the hardest thing for me to accept is that one summer at wilderness camp turned Carly into this hippie person who spurned her luxurious lifestyle. I wish there had been more of her before the camp – maybe some flashbacks showing she was freer spirited before the camp? I don’t know, it just seemed too picture perfect, especially given she still spent her money at mid-range clothing stores when given access to her mom’s credit card rather than continuing her camp experience by buying more unique pieces.

In all, the story was cute – the relationship between sisters is a dynamic one and I thought it was well-written showing both sisters struggling with their own issues, but also with each other. If you are in the mood for a cuter story about sisters – this one would be worth a read.

Review: Irma Voth by Miriam Toews

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Release Date: September 6, 2011
Format: Paperback ARC
Pages: 272
Source: Publisher

From Goodreads: Irma Voth entangles love, longing and dark family secrets. The stifling, reclusive Mennonite life of nineteen-year-old Irma Voth - newly married and newly deserted and as unforgettable a character as Nomi Nickel in A Complicated Kindness - is irrevocably changed when a film crew moves in to make a movie about the community. She embraces the absurdity, creative passion and warmth of their world but her intractable and domineering father is determined to keep her from it at all costs. The confrontation between them sets her on an irrevocable path towards something that feels like freedom as she and her young sister, Aggie, wise beyond her teenage years, flee to the city, upheld only by their love for each other and their smart wit, even as they begin to understand the tragedy that has their family in its grip.

Irma Voth delves into the complicated factors that set us on the road to self-discovery and how we can sometimes find the strength to endure the really hard things that happen. And as Gustavo, a taxi driver, says, you go on, you live and you laugh and you are compassionate toward others. It also asks that most difficult of questions: How do we forgive? And most importantly, how do we forgive ourselves?

My review: A poor girl who falls in love with a boy from the wrong side of town and her overprotective religious father objects and disowns her. The story sounds routine, but the setting – Mexico, takes a common plot into a new story. I really enjoyed the infusion of Mexico and Spanish into the story. I can’t pinpoint exactly why but it added another element, another culture into the mix.

The writing took a little for me to adjust to – there isn’t a lot of punctuation including quotations. This I struggled with throughout the novel to determine what was actually said and what was monologue or general story. The actually characters and story were heartbreaking and inspiring, full of flaws and personal ambitions. The ending was perfect in my mind – enough closer to make me happy but still open with the promise of tomorrow.

 

Check out other reviews of this book via the book tour: 

Monday, September 19th: The Scarlet Letter
Tuesday, September 20th: StephTheBookworm

Thursday, September 22nd: Book Snob
Friday, September 23rd: The Betty and Book Chronicles
Monday, September 26th: Life in Review
Tuesday, September 27th: The Book Nest

Tot Tuesday: Twinkle Toes (Touch & Feel) by Karen Katz

Welcome to Tot Tuesday – a weekly feature where I review and share a children’s book. Children’s books are such a big part of my life now that I want to share them for other parents, grandparents or anyone who buys a child a book with the hope of instilling a lifelong love of reading.

The books I review and share are generally books from my daughter’s bookshelves and her library selections. She generally selects library books by a very technical method of grabbing every book in her reach and shoving them into the bag we bring with us. Thus, each week will be a surprising post.

Twinkle Toes (Touch & Feel) by Karen Katz - I’m not sure there is a Karen Kratz book I could not love. They are all illustrated with such vibrant colors and include some of the best writing in children’s book land. Sammie loved this one especially because of the large touch-and-feel items. After we finished reading this one she would dance around the living room and then ask to read it again!

Review: Vanish (Firelight #2) by Sophie Jordan

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 6, 2011
Format: E-Book ARC
Pages: 304
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

From Goodreads: To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

My review: Firelight leaves us at a huge cliffhanger and Vanish picks up it the moments after the fall, catching the reader before they hit bottom. Firelight was wonderful, but more up and down with the intensity and action – and it had to be to build the story and characters. That is where Vanish is so much different, so much better. Vanish is a constant intense swirl of action, emotion and drama. I finished it in one day, couldn’t put it down unless I was forced to. There was never a good break point because the suspense was constant and the possibility of impending doom or heart-pounding love was too present.

Jacinda is faced with punishment for the danger she has brought to her pride, all while trying to sort out her emotions of Will and Cassian. I think my favorite addition to the plot line is the new path Jacinda’s twin sister, Tamra! I loved the elements this brought into the story, but also how it impacted the relationship between Jacinda and Tamra and their mother. It really brought a depth to their relationship but also shows how stark their personalities are in comparison to their mother.

The ending wasn’t quite as sudden in Vanish – I could feel it coming, but it was still a resolution unresolved. I will be anxiously awaiting the release of the next novel!

Side note: For the paranormal young adult genre this is a unique story, focusing on dragons instead of vampires or wolves. It takes me back to seeing my mom reading her favorite genre – dragons and the old world. In that respect the novels feel comfortable, like a hug from my mom.

Side, side note: For some reason the second book in a trilogy seems to be my favorite…I’m not sure why exactly but I am finding this a common occurrence.

Sophie Jordan is an awesome person that she sent out some Vanish swag to giveaway. I will pick up to 5 random people to mail some fun Vanish cards. I use these as bookmarks - they work great! Contest ends 09/19/2011. Fill out the form below to enter.

111 in '11 - COMPLETE!

I just realized with the book I finished Friday, I hit 111 books read in 2011! I didn't anticipate hitting this goal so early since I only read 117 books last year. I'm pretty excited!!! :)

I think I am going to bump my goal to 150 for this year now that I am working on book number 112!

Bookish: LIbrary Tote Bags

Right now we take a reusable Target bag to the library to load up on books for Sammie but I really would like to get a special bag for her. I ran across this one on pintrest and really like it!

These could work too:

And one I found for me:

Friday Five (1)

I'm doing a new thing on Friday's - joining in with a few of my online book clubbers that blog...because I'm a follower! :) I am going to use Friday Five as a way to share random things about my life and thoughts with you each week.

1. My kiddo loves the library. As in, loves it! I asked her Wednesday night (when Brett was working so it was just us two) if she wanted to go to the park or the library and she picked the library. She is definitely my child!

 

2. I am pulling back from reading review books. My owned TBR list is out of control and I am feeling very pressured by the review books right now. I have been doing one review book, one personal pick lately but it's not enough. I have too many great books on my shelf that I push behind review books and I am putting a stop to it. I may still select a few review books off and on, but I'm limiting it a lot.

3. I am so unbelievably ready for the weekend. Friday can not fly quick enough for me!

4. Fall is in the air! I love this time of year - it makes me so happy and cozy!

5. My Grandpa just had his first radiation for prostate cancer yesterday. The Dr says one round of radiation should kick this cancer's ass right into oblivion (OK - my words, but that is basically what the Dr said). We are remaining upbeat! If you have any warm fuzzies we would sure love them to store up for when the side effects of the treatments start kicking in!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Review: The Poisoned House by Michael Ford

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Release Date: August 1, 2011
Format: E-book
Pages: 328
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

From Goodreads: Life can be cruel for a servant girl in 1850s London. Fifteen-year-old Abi is a scullery maid in Greave Hall, an elegant but troubled household. The widowed master of the house is slowly slipping into madness, and the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs.Cotton, punishes Abi without mercy. But there's something else going on in Greave Hall, too. An otherworldly presence is making itself known, and a deadly secret will reveal itself—-a secret that will shatter everything Abi knows.

My review: I saw this on NetGalley and after reading the description decided I was in the mood for a semi-spooky mood. This book definitely was exactly what I was looking for. This would be the perfect book for October - the dark setting is great for a Halloween month read, curled up by a crackling fire.

I fell for Abi - she was a young immature girl trying to absorb her mother's death, her resulting loneliness and the brutal sharpness of Mrs. Cotton. Ghosts aren't a huge portion of this storyline, but just enough that the creepy level is decently high. The historical setting added to the darkness and hostility of Greave Hall. The descriptions were written so hauntingly the pages came alive.

More than any ghost it was the pure mystery surrounding the characters that intrigued me most in this story. My suspected guilty party changed with each chapter, keeping me on the edge and pushing me to race to the next page. This would be a great story for a reader that wants a little spookiness without the full horror genre.

Review: The Whites of Their Eyes: Bunker Hill, the First American Army, and the Emergence of George Washington by Paul Lockhart

Publisher: Harper
Release Date: June 1, 2011
Format: Paperback ARC
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher

From Goodreads: Paul Lockhart combines military and political history to offer a major reassessment of one of the most famous battles in American history.

One hot June afternoon in 1775, on the gentle slopes of a hill near Boston, Massachusetts, a small band of ordinary Americans—frightened but fiercely determined—dared to stand up to a superior British force. The clash would be immortalized as the Battle of Bunker Hill: the first real engagement of the American Revolution and one of the most famous battles in our history. But Bunker Hill was not the battle that we have been taught to believe it was.

Revisiting old evidence and drawing on new research, historian Paul Lockhart, author of The Drillmaster of Valley Forge, shows that Bunker Hill was a clumsy engagement pitting one inexperienced army against another. Lockhart tells the rest of the story, too: how a mob of armed civilians became America's first army; how George Washington set aside his comfortable patrician life to take command of the veterans of Bunker Hill; and how the forgotten heroes of 1775—though overshadowed by the more famous Founding Fathers—kept the notion of American liberty alive, and thus made independence possible.

My review: One battle - the premise of this book is one early battle in the Revolutionary War. One might think that it would be a rather boring book given this, but instead the pages of this book contain inspiring images of average men running to the call of duty.

I think the most amazing thing about the beginning of the USA is that it really was just average/normal people that started the uprising that turned into something so much more. In this book two armies struggled through figuring out war - the terrain, the equipment, the passion and the goal. I found the details on the events leading up to this legendary battle fascinating. Most of the book is actually about the days before the actual skirmish and yet it never felt bogged down or boring.

This book fit right in with the biographies I have been reading for the Presidential Challenge - providing another perspective into the Revolution. I highly recommend this for any history buff or anyone interested in the early US war techniques.