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Ben Simon, here is your new thread in 2015. Happy reading in the new year.

Our Requir ed Format:

JANUARY

1. by Winston S. Churchill
Finish date: January 2015
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

JANUARY

1. by Haruki Murakami
Finish date: January 4th, 2015
Genre: Japanese Lit, Memoir, Philosophy
Rating: B+
Review: Being my first exposure to Murakami, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I've been told that his work is very deep and poetic, and that many people either love his stories, or hate them. After reading What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, I can say that my introduction to Murakami has been a satisfying one! Being a runner, this book captured my interest right away, and drew me with its relatability, which ultimately persuaded me more than his other well-know works did. Drawing on a decade of personal journal entries, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running gives the reader insight into the life, personal philosophy, and thoughts of Haruki Murakami. This memoir touches on everything from Murakami's early life owning a small Jazz bar in Tokyo and his uncertain start in writing, to his time living in Cambridge, MA and his passion for running. Much of the memoir focuses on running and the many races Murakami has participated in over the years. Each life and running event comes with its own set of successes and setbacks, which has shaped Murakami's outlook on life and aging, which has helped him to better understand himself. In turn, the reader is drawn into forming their own ideas on these topcis, and while you by no means have to be a runner to read and understand this book, those that are can make connections to their own experiences and what this passion means to them.

Ok Ben - good start - your review does not have to be long if you do not have the time when you post. We ask that you post the book and the review at the same time. A couple of sentences is perfect - honest. But if you want to do more - by all means. You must be dong the Japan Challenge - that must be exciting - have you read about Japan before or read any of the Japanese authors spotlighted before or is this your first sampling?

FEBRUARY

2. by David Fraser (no photo)
Finish date: February 5th, 2015
Genre: Biography, History, Military History
Rating: A
Review: Spanning Erwin Rommel's life from beginning to sudden end, Knight's Cross focuses heavily on Rommel's military career and who he was as a soldier, commander, family man, and patriot. I learned a great deal more about Rommel himself, as well as the political dealings of the Third Reich and the German Wehrmacht during World War II. As a biographer, Fraser did a very good job of telling Rommel's story, as well as giving background on the major events that impacted Rommel's life, such as the interwar period, the events leading to the invasion of Poland, and the July 20th attempt on Hitler's life, to name a few. The only flaw that I could find in this book, and a very understandable one at that, was that Fraser's admiration and sympathy towards Rommel caused him to whitewash some of the mistakes that Rommel made as a commander, and gloss over some of his faults. While he could have been more critical during these portions of his book, he still did include them, and most of the time, drew attention to them. Yet, I still found myself wondering if that was the whole story at times, or if Fraser was indeed leaving parts of it out. Overall, this was a great book, and a great read! I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about Rommel, the North African campaign, or the beginning of the Italian campaign and Operation Overlord. Or if you are looking for a good World War II military history read, I would suggest giving this book a chance.

3. by Inazo Nitobe
Finish date: February 11th, 2015
Genre: History, Japanese Lit, Philosophy
Rating: B-
Review: Written around the turn of the 20th Century, one can not only learn a lot from this book, but also learn a lot from the context surrounding it. With the recent end of Japanese isolationism, many "Westerners" didn't know much about Japanese culture or customs. For the vastly Christian West, many individuals had difficulty comprehending that the Japanese could be ethical, or could have a set of morals without adhering to a religion. This book was Mr. Nitobe's response not only to this question, but also to the various flawed works previously published on Japan. In this book, Mr. Nitobe describes the creation of the Bushido way of life, which served as a code of honor for the Japanese samurai and their families. He then outlines the various aspects of Bushido, such as the principles of the lifestyle, the education samurais and their children are to receive, the role of women, and the tradition of Seppuku and Harakiri, to name a few. Finally, Mr. Nitobe reflects on the role of Bushido in the 20th Century, and its continued survival as a moral code among the Japanese people. While it can be dry at times, it packs plenty of interesting stories, information, and background into its pages, giving an insight into Japanese culture, history, and life.

Bentley wrote: "Ok Ben - good start - your review does not have to be long if you do not have the time when you post. We ask that you post the book and the review at the same time. A couple of sentences is perfe..."

Oh, ok! I'll put in a quick review for them now. My knowledge of Japan has been mostly limited to the last century, more specifically the period around WWII and its aftermath. I figured it would be a good idea to broaden my horizons here, and read more about Japan itself. I later saw the Japan Challenge, and fit very well to what I was trying to do!

Sorry about that delay, but I just finished the last review. I'll make sure to post a review when I post any book in the future!

You did a great job on your reviews - really good.

4. by L.T. Ryan
Finish date: February 24th, 2015
Genre: Thriller
Rating: B-
Review: Your typical cookie-cutter thriller novel, Noble Beginnings follows Marine sergeant Jack Noble from a dangerous confrontation in an Iraqi home six months following the September 11th attacks, to a suspenseful manhunt across the east coast of the United States, all in an effort to clear himself and his brother-in-arms Riley "Bear" Logan, of wrongful and life-threatening charges. Even though this is a typical thriller novel, following the age-old pattern of tough yet good protagonist, recurring love-interest, and a host of disposable characters, it still delivers in providing an enjoyable page-turner. Unfortunately, I felt that much of the plot and story itself was left unresolved, but most of this can be excused as being the first book of a series. If you're looking for a quick read (also free on Kindle), to boost that reading count, as well as remain relatively entertained, I would recommend giving this book a chance. If not, missing out on this story will be no great loss. Just pick up (insert generic thriller title) and you'll get the gist of what happens in Noble Beginnings.

That sounds interesting,

5. by Mindy Fullilove (No Photo)
Finish date: February 25th, 2015
Genre: Urban Planning, Psychology
Rating: B
Review: Following WWII, the bulldozing of "blighted" land in American cities to make way for new, useful buildings and property became a major trend. This act, coined as "Urban Renewal", tended to target black, minority, or particularly poor neighborhoods. In Root Shock, Mindy Thompson Fullilove discusses the course of Urban Renewal from 1850's Paris, to 1950's Pittsburg, and the affects it still has today. Fullilove not only looks at the lost of history, culture, and heritage brought about by the destruction of these neighborhoods, but also the effect it has had on the residents of those "blighted" neighborhoods. Using several different cities, as well as a myriad of personal accounts, Fullilove shows the reader that these neighborhoods, while not always the prettiest due to segregationist America, still had their own charm and culture, as well as strong bonds between residents of the neighborhood. When the bulldozers came in, the residents that were forced out, often receiving pittances for their property and moving fees, were scattered across the city. Because of the physical distance that grew between these formerly close neighbors, these tight bonds began to break. Coupled with the loss of their home and the relocation to an unfamiliar location with new, unfamiliar neighbors, these displaced residents were subjugated to an immense amount of physical and psychological trauma, which affects not only those in the path of the bulldozer, but also America as a whole.

Root Shock, while sometimes dry, contained many stories of hardship and loss, that is sure to move the heart. At the same time, one is given a pass through first-hand accounts, as to what life before urban renewal was like in these affected neighborhoods before they were bulldozed for highways, arenas, and sometimes empty, undeveloped land. It is sure to make one question the ethics of urban renewal, and how the program has been carried out back then, as well as today. This is a must-read for urban planners and those interested in the field, as well as a recommended read for all others.

I think you are confused about blank lines and you have them where you should not have them and don't have them where you should.

Look at the template below:
There is one blank line beneath the month - no blank lines under the citation and before Finish date: - So you start the Review: segment with no blank lines. Take out the blank lines under your citations.

Also Finish date: is the section and this is a nit - but you have Finish Date:

Now in the Review: when you are doing the review - you can certainly have blank lines between paragraphs - so you can place blank lines between paragraphs in a long review. - great reviews but this one in 5 is longer and paragraphs would improve readability and they are allowed within the internal review.

JANUARY

1. by Winston S. Churchill
Finish date: January 2015
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

Hypothetical next paragraph ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, I think I got it now. Were all the corrections made to my posts? And the month is only included once, right? So how I read multiple books in February, I will only need to have "February" at the top of one post, correct?

Thanks for the clarifications, Bentley!

You do Ben. Thanks. Do you want me to leave message 11 so you can refer to it or do you want me to delete it.

It's fine if you leave it. I can look back at it if I ever need to.

That is what I thought - normally I delete them but thought you might want it.

6. by L.T. Ryan
Finish date: February 28th, 2015
Genre: Spy thriller
Rating: B-
Review: Much like his previous book in the series, A Deadly Distance follows the adventures of former Marine Sergeant Jack Noble after leaving the service at the end of the previous book. Now a part of a shady, off-the-books U.S. Government organization, Jack and his team serve as a line of defense against terrorists, arms dealers, and human traffickers operating in the United States. When Jack and his colleague, Frank, decide to lead a raid against a recently discovered child trafficking ring, they end up making powerful enemies who want nothing more than to have their revenge.

Also like L.T. Ryan's previous book, A Deadly Distance follows the mold of nearly every spy thriller out there. The result is a predictable, yet interesting read. While there are still some surprises, don't expect much in the way of shockers. Aside from a few references and familiar faces from Noble Beginnings, this book pretty much stands alone, with only the main character linking the series. Just like its predecessor, if you're looking for a quick, relatively interesting read (also free on Kindle) to boost your reading count, this is the book for you. Otherwise, you would not be missing much by skipping it.

MARCH

7. by Richard F. Fenno Jr.(No Photo)
Finish date: March 28th, 2015
Genre: Politics
Rating: B
Review: Written in the 1970's, Home Style is Richard Fenno's study of American Congressmen and Women, and the differences between each of their respective political styles in their home district and in Washington, D.C.

While slightly dated, much of what Fenno has to say remains relevant to this day. According to Fenno, Congressmen and Women have to present themselves in two different ways: Their "home style", which is what they show to their constituents in order to win reelection and maintain their seat in Congress, and their "Hill style", which is how they act among their colleagues in D.C. Not surprisingly, these styles tend to be very different from one another.

Overall, this was a good read about an interesting topic. It was pretty dry throughout much of the book, but that did little to diminish Fenno's points and statements. If you're interested in the field of political science, or would like to better understand why politicians act the way the do among the people they are around, I would recommend this book to you. Just be prepared to muscle your way through dry patches and at times some necessarily vague information.

APRIL

8. by John Keegan
Finish date: April 15, 2015
Genre: Military History
Rating: A
Review: This has probably been one of my favorite military history books to date! Not only is the content well researched, but the writing is also superb! Some military history books can read like a laundry list of names, dates, and places, but The First World War reads more like a story spanning the decades leading up to the outbreak of war, and ending with the conclusion of hostilities and the inconclusive peace that resulted. Unfortunately, because it covers so much time in such a comparatively small book, I found myself wishing for a more in-depth story, which this book could not deliver.

I would still highly recommend this book to anyone looking to gain a more general understanding of WWI, or to anyone who enjoys a good, well-written, page-turning military history book.

MAY

9. by Anthony J. Nownes(No Photo)
Finish date: May 13, 2015
Genre: Politics
Rating: B
Review: When I first started reading Total Lobbying, I was excited to learn more about that "Shadow world" of American Politics. While I did learn more about the facets of lobbying, and the people that are involved in it, it was not nearly as sinister nor secretive as it's made out to be. To Nownes' credit, that was the goal of his book. Yes, while shady dealing and political corruption can be a part of lobbying, Nownes explains that a vast majority of lobbyists are not nearly as sinister as they are made out to be. He also states that a majority of a lobbyists time isn't spent hobnobbing with politicians and decision-makers, but instead spent researching and tracking legislation at the local, state, and federal level.

While it was a tedious read at times, it was interesting to learn what exactly lobbyists did, and to find out that lobbyists are people too. If you're looking to learn more about lobbying in American politics, or just want to break those myths about the individuals that make this their career, this is the book for you.