Welcome to Litsy!

My nonfiction for the month.

https://youtu.be/j-o--RRH46I?si=SwpOFeRNqA3zkAZy

Introduction

Mystery guest

Weekly Highlights

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes

Home Stretch by Graham Norton

Need something REAL after the last lovey-dovey read. I like reading books my dad reads and getting a better understanding of what my grandfathers and he experienced during WWII and Vietnam. Heartbreaking but important.

#Sharreadathon #War #RemembertheseMen #Readandcry #Keeplearning

I really enjoy WW2 books so glad this was on my #auldlangspine list @fredthemoose @monalyisha

I had a really strong December and I‘m going with a 3-way tie between Helmet For My Pillow (WWII memoir), All the Sinners Bleed, and Hello Beautiful to round out my #12Booksof2023.

On to the NONFICTION winner of #ReadingBrackets2023! This quarter belonged entirely to Hampton Sides—he battled himself the whole way. December‘s pick about the Marines at the Chosin Reservoir was excellent. It moved on against “Ghost Soldiers” to face “Hellhound on His Trail.” For me, it was an easy pick: “Hellhound,” a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, sweeps the board and emerges as victor. In fact, it‘s my favorite book of the entire year!

Three books in a row by Hampton Sides — three home runs. This book is about the siege at Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War, when the First Marine Division was trapped, outnumbered and surrounded by 300,000 Red Chinese soldiers. How the Marines held on and fought their way out is considered one of the most heroic operations in American military history. It‘s a story of what humans are capable of in extreme circumstances. Highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was excellent. First person account of a Marine who served in the Pacific on Guadalcanal and Peleliu Island in WWII. Apparently he was motivated to write it after being disgusted by the musical South Pacific and wanting to set the record straight that it was no musical. I‘m not a big war history buff, but I loved the first person account of his and his buddies‘ experiences.

A remarkable and harrowing novel about the Vietnam War. A raw semi-autobiographical account capturing the brutal dehumanizing effects of war. The pacing is intense and chaotic fitting the narrative perfectly. It is quite the novel.

An important book, difficult to read in parts, but honest