Friday Finds and a book for guys

Friday Finds*

Here are the additions to my TBR list for this week:

1. The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton - pre-WWI, lost child ends up on boat to Australia, story goes from 1913-2005
2. Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War, by Sebastian Faulks - another WWI era book ... I think I'm seeing a trend! I'll have to be sure to read these books near each other.
3. The Man With the Iron Heart, by Harry Turtledove - I'm not usually a fan of alternative history (I like my non-fiction and my fantasy separate, please) but this one sounds really interesting: what if WWII Germany reacted like modern-day Iraq and mounted a resistance after losing the war? It's basically like examining modern events by setting them in a different time period. I'm not really explaining myself well though ... just check out this review and you'll see what I'm talking about.
4. The Mitford Girls, by Mary S. Lovell - the true story of six British upper-class sisters living before/during/after WWII - they knew the heavy-hitters of the day (Churchill, Hitler, etc.), were involved in myriad political movements, etc.
5. Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - I've been creeped out by even hearing about many Gaiman books (I am NOT a horror fan, and yes I do know he writes other things), but this 0ne sounds great. This description got me thinking of the movie Dogma, which I thought was hilarious and horrible at the same time.
   
6. Washington's Lady, by Nancy Moser - I've seen this George & Martha Washington book several times before but this reviewer pointed out that there is a extensive section at the back that clearly states what is fiction and what is fact in this book - THAT'S a reason to read it right there.
   

* I'm not sure that Friday Finds is still really going on ... I tried to click over to the host blog and wordpress says it's been deleted. Do you know anything about it? Fill me in if you do. Either way, I like doing Friday Finds so I'll continue doing it.

A book for guys ...

My husband is not really a reader. It takes him a long time to get through a book and it doesn't bring him the same pleasure that it brings me. But recently he found a book that he just can't stop talking about: Lone Survivor, by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson.

I'm not going to summarize the book - I haven't read it, and you you can go to Amazon.com for a summary. Instead I'm going to tell you what I know ...

Hubby picked it up in the airport and was hooked. He worked his way through it over the next two weeks, often choosing to read rather than watch TV (and that never happens!). He told me that the book actually made him cry. Of course he wanted me to read it but I said no for now. Then he told me to let my boss read it. My boss got back from a trip the following week and said "I'm glad I was in the back of the plane when I finished this because I was reading the end and tears were rolling down my cheeks." He, in turn, passed it on to his personal trainer who devoured it in three days. I have it back now, and it's my job to pass it on to my dad.

I don't plan to read this book for several reasons. First, my TBR pile is completely out of control, second, I think some of the graphic descriptions would be a bit much for me, and third, it's just not my kind of book. But even if I don't read/review it here, I wanted to tell all of you about it. If a book is getting this kind of reaction from the guys I know, it definitely worth talking about!

Have you read it? Would you want to? Are there any guys in your life who would enjoy this? Let me know!