It was great to see Michael get his own woman. He almost messed it up, but he pulled his head out of his rear in enough time to fix things. I enjoy this series. Lots of special ops actions and good romance. I also like the SOAR camaraderie.

Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com

My new reading project is to read as much of Beverly Cleary's work as I can get my hands on to celebrate her 100th birthday this month.I am participating in the Dewey Read-A-Thon on April 23rd.

Courtney Milan Challenge

1. A Governess Affair (Brothers Sinister #0.5)

2. The Duchess War (Brothers Sinister #1)

Regency Box Set

3. The Love List (Half-Moon House #1) by Deb Marlowe

Classic Challenge/John Steinbeck Reader

4. The Red Pony

5. Tortilla Flat

Women in the Military Challenge

6. A Few Good Women: America's Military Women from World War I to the War in Iraq and Afghanistan by Evelyn Monahan and Rosemary Greenlee

Non-Fiction Challenge

7. In the Midst of Life by Jennifer Worth

8. Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo

9. Self-Inflicted Wounds by Aisha Tyler

10. Londonistan by Melanie Phillips

11. Down the Rabbit Hole by Holly Madison

12. Yes, My Accent is Real by Kunal Nayyar

Beverly Cleary at 100

13. Beezus and Ramona (Ramona Quimby #1)

14. Ramona the Pest (Ramona Quimby #2)

15. Ramona the Brave (Ramona Quimby #3)

The Great and Powerful TBR Pile:

16. What a Westmoreland Wants by Brenda Jackson

17. To Wed the Widow (The Reluctant Bride Collection #3) by Megan Bryce

18. Hearts in Flight by Patty Smith Hall

19. Hearts in Hiding by Patty Smith Hall

20. Hearts Rekindled by Patty Smith Hall

Happy Reading!

Courtney Milan Challenge: (30% completed; 1 of 2 series completed)

1. Proof by Seduction (Carhart Series #1) 3.5 stars

2. Trial by Desire (Carhart Series #2) 3 stars

Regency Box Set: (33% completed)

3. A Gentleman Never Tells (The Wetherby Brides #1) by Jerrica Knight-Catania 1 star

4. More Than a Governess (The Wetherby Brides #2) by Jerrica Knight-Catania 3 stars

5. Twice A Rake (Lord Rotheby's Influence #1) by Catherine Gayle .5 star

Sinatra at 100:

6. Sinatra: The Photographs by Andrew Howick and Barbara Sinatra 5 stars

Women in Military Challenge: (50% completed)

7. The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq  by Helen Benedict 1 star

Non-fiction Challenge: (8 out of 50 books; 16% completed)

8. Hijacking the Runway: How Celebrities Are Stealing the Spotlight from Fashion Designers by Teri Agins 4 stars

9. I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot By the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai 4 stars

10. The Birth of The Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution by Jonathan Eig DNF

11. March: Book One by Rep John Lewis (graphic novel) 5 stars

12. Easter 1916: The Irish Rebellion by Charles Townshend - still working on

13. The Irish Americans: A History by Jay P. Dolan - still working on

14. Desperate Networks by Bill Carter 4 stars

Great and Powerful TBR Pile:

15. The Major's Faux Fiancee (Dukes of War #3) by Erica Ridley 2 stars

16. Brotherhood in Death (...In Death #42) by JD Robb 2 stars

Reading Challenge update: 42 out of 150 (28% completed)

Stats:

# of books read: 13

# of fiction books: 7

# of non-fiction books: 6

total average star rating: 2.9 (0.2 higher than January and February)

fiction average rating: 2.14

non-fiction average rating: 3.83

Events:

24 Hour Take Control of TBR Pile Read-A-Thon created and hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. 

Final Notes:

Welp, got the first DNF of the year this month. Still, my streak of no hate reads since the new year started is going strong.

I credit the Read-A-Thon for getting me over the hump in the Courtney Milan challenge. Unfortunately, I only got those two books done in the 24 hours. I hope to do better in the Dewey.

I don't like to continue reads into the next month, but these Irish history books are DENSE. I would rather take my time and fully take in all that information anyway. Those books will be a priority for April.

My best reads this month were picture-intense: the Civil Rights Movement memoir of Rep. John Lewis and the Sinatra coffee table book. Another highlight was finally reading I am Malala.

My worst read was the third Regency box set story (Twice A Rake). I think I lost brain cells reading that story, but the whole box set was 99 cents and some stories are just going to be better than others. I am hoping this is the lowest point.

My most disappointing read this month (and a nominee for disappointing book this year) is Brotherhood in Death. I am seriously thinking about getting off the ...In Death train after the rage and disgust I have for this book.

I am starting to get a bad feeling about the rest of the books in my Women in the Military reading list. The last few books were bad, both in terms of people profiled and writing-wise. I am hoping that April's choice will restore a little faith in the books on that list, or I may decide to stop reading those books altogether.

I am done with the Dukes of War series, as I had book four on my NOOK and when I went to open it, the first page of the first chapter was blank....as well as all the other pages in the book. I paid 99 cents for the front of the book information apparently and the promos in the back, but not the book itself (note the sarcasm). It is not worth it to me, in regards to time and money, to try B&N's customer service. I don't feel interested in continuing the series anyway.

I am creating a new reading challenge for myself starting in April. Author Beverly Cleary will celebrate her 100th birthday next month. She is one of the reasons I am such a book worm today. I read Ramona Quiby, Age 8 when I was a young kid (kindergarten or first grade) and loved it because I related to Ramona so hard. The base library has the series in its children's room, so I am taking the spring season and having a Cleary-poolza.

Happy Reading.

Helen Benedict is a journalist and fiction writer. She has a clear, to the point of extremism, bias against all things military - the institution, the people who make up the military, the traditions and cultures within each branch - everything military is bad. Bad I tell you. Male military service members are evil and every one of them is lying in wait for the opportunity to RAPE AND MURDER EVERY FEMALE they can find.

*sigh*

The women profiled here in this book are stereotypes of the sad tragic figure. Once again, I am grateful for being on the active duty side of the military, because the National Guard is filled with these sad tragic figures - no wonder they weren't ready to deploy and help us in the fight. Benedict said she interviewed 40+ women vets who served in Iraq, yet these five were profiled due to fitting a narrative that the author wanted to tell from the get-go. I can't help but roll my eyes when these women make one stupid, immature decision after another and won't do anything to change. And why should they when journalists such as Benedict can use them to further her agenda (that is lacking in understanding military life and culture, but damn demanding of reforms) and make them media darlings?

As for the book quality, a little advice - know when to capitalize! It is not air force, it is Air Force; likewise, Army rather than army. That bit of writing, done over and over again, shows Benedict's lack of respect for the people she is profiling and the military. Also, not everyone in the military is a soldier; here is a handy guide

US Army personnel = Soldier

Marine Corps personnel = Marine

US Navy personnel = Sailor

US Air Force = Airman (no, not Airperson or Airwomen; we are all Airmen)

I do think Benedict did a lot of good work exposing KBR/Haliburton for the corrupt, greedy assholes they are, along with other private contractors. She also did a good job exposing the Bush administration for the lies and blunders in the fiasco that was Operation Iraqi Freedom (which I served in). But way too much of her own bias and agenda, coupled with the sad tragic figures disguised as soldiers did no one any justice. 1 star.

The Take Control of TBR Pile read-a-thon was fun to participate in and I meet new to me book bloggers, so I am calling it a success. I had five or six books I wanted to get done during the reading marathon, but only managed to start and finish one book and start another one (to the 50% mark). Thanks to As the Page Turns for bringing the reading marathon to my attention. Next month it is the Dewey Read-a-thon and I will participate in that one too and push a visit to Stratford Upon Avon to a date that won't have crowds.

I have decided to DNF at 15% and move on from The Birth of the Pill by Jonathan Eig. Too dry and too focused on Sanger's sexual appetite/affairs, etc and not enough focus on the science, politics, and cultural shifts that made the work of creating The Pill. The book needed a content editor.

Here are the books I hope to knock out:

1. Finish I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. I am thinking of buying this book so I have it to give my kids when they are old/able enough to read and understand it. I am humbled by the education this young woman's words are giving me. It will end up on my best of 2016 reading for sure!

2. Twice a Rake (Lord Rotheby's Influence #1) by Catherine Gayle. Third story in the regency box set.

3. Sinatra: The Photographs by Andrew Howick and Barbara Sinatra. Thinking about reading the other Sinatra book sometime later (May or June).

4. The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq by Helen Benedict.