Unbroken: A World War II Story Laura Hillenbrand (Andy’s Review)

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and RedemptionMy brother in law was in town for Thanksgiving, and he had a copy of Unbroken with him. As soon as I saw the book cover, I wondered to myself why I had not yet read it. I had heard great things about the book. I knew that it was a story about WWII and was based in the Pacific. I knew that the author was praised for the book. That was where my knowledge of the book ended. At one point in time, it was on my must read list, but for whatever reason, I had never picked it up.

I asked my wife pick up the book for me at the library You see, we’re a homeschool family… she’s there ALL the time 🙂 I started reading it, and found it very difficult to put down.

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Kindle Paperwhite in Stock for Christmas

I just noticed this morning that the Kindle Paperwhites are back in stock for Christmas.  With a few caveats (no audio, no buttons) the paperwhite is definitely the best kindle out there.  (Bookwi.se initial impressions.  Full review) If $119 is too much, the Kindle Basic (my main kindle) is a good alternative for a little more than … Read more

The Search For God And Guinness by Stephen Mansfield

The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the WorldSummary: A fascinating history, but the writing was sophomoric.

Searching for God and Guinness is a “biography” of beer’s role in history and culture through the lens of one of the most famous brands and the family behind it. In simple and readable prose, Stephen Mansfield traces the arc of beer–specifically its origins as a moral and healthy alternative to the hard liquors that destroyed men and marriages, the economic and social development of the Guinness family, and especially the latter’s incredible impact on the justice issues of the day.

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Goodreads Reader’s Choice Awards

Goodreads is my favorite reader’s focus social media site.  If you love reading and you are not on Goodreads, you should give it a try.  The 2012 Reader’s Choice Awards were announced.  More than one million votes were cast.  The results, with 20 different categories is the result of regular readers.  In this list I … Read more