A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

Another book that I read recently is A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. I enjoyed this book very much.
This book is a memoir of a man who was a child during the conflicts that took place in Sierra Leone in the 80s and 90s. During this time, many of the children got caught up in the fighting that was taking place in this country. I think that the most interesting thing about this story is that it enables you to know exactly what was going on. It is one thing to hear in the news about a conflict, or to hear about how many people were killed during fighting, but this book enabled you to experiance the horrors and tragedy of war. The atrocities commited against civilians are also shocking and terrifiying.
The perspective the book takes changes when Ishmael himself becomes a soldier. As he tells about how he brutally killed people, you begin to understand how it is to be a child soldier, and the psychological effects that it has. Towards the end of the book, it becomes very uflifting and hopeful as Ishmael is able to recover from his psychological damage and brainwashing, and he moves on towards a better life.
Overall, this is an outstanding book that creates many different moods and teaches lessons of how hard war is, on soldiers and civilians.

Cujo by Stephen King

One book that I read recentely is Cujo by Stephen King. This book is about a huge dog named Cujo who becomes rabid and begins attacking people.
Overall, I was not very happy with this book. I found that although there was supposed to be action in the plot, the story actually moved very slowly. The first half of the book was especially slow, with tons of boring, irrelevant detail that did not add to the story at all. However, there were some things that were good about this book. For example, one thing that was interesting was the point of view. Sometimes, the story was told through Cujo, the dog, and other times it was told through one of the other characters. This gives a very interesting perspective into the story. Also, the characters are realistic and the way they react to situations seems believable, unlike many other stories with action in them. Overall, Cujo was not a very engaging book, but it did conatin a few interesting elements.

Patriot Games by Tom Clancy

The last book that I read is Patriot Games by Tom Clancy. This book is about an American, Jack Ryan, who travels to England and ends up saving the Prince and Princess of Wales from a terrorist attack by an Irish terrorist group. After this, he gets caught up in the affairs of the terrorist group, and he and his family are attacked.
I found this book very interesting. The plot was very fast-moving and it had a lot of action. It also was very interesting to see how Jack reacted during certain situations. Overall, this book was a lot of fun to read.

Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King

The book that I read is called Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. This is a fantasy story. The story is told from the perspective of a narerator. In the book, there is a wizard named Flagg. Flagg tries to gain power in the kingdom of Delain. In order to do so, he has the Queen murdered, the King poisoned, and the oldest son framed for poisoning the king. The younger son, Thomas, then becomes king. However, he saw Flagg poisoning the King by watching through the eyes of a dragon statue. Eventually, Peter, the older son, escapes from prison, and tries to kill Flagg with the help of Thomas, who admitted that he saw Flagg poison the king. Flagg then escapes, and at the end of the story, Thomas and a few others find Flagg but the outcome is not told.
I found this book very boring. The plot was very slow and very predictable. The characters also seemed very boring and not well-developed. Overall, I was not happy with this book.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

The book that I read is called Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. The main character in this book is Robert Langdon. He is an expert on religious iconology and art history. One day, he finds out that there is a murder commited by a group call the Illuminati. He is asked to help solve the murder.
What seems to start out as a simple murder mystery develops into a storyline with a much deeper message. The book touches on the power struggle between religion and science. Since the time of Galileo and many other of the first scientists, the Church has lost power due to science. What once was known as an "act of God" begins to have a logical, scientific explanation. The Illuminati, originally formed by Galileo, try to cripple the power of the Church through violent means, all the while using their ancient symbology. This, of course, is Robert's profession, so he must try to stop the violence before it happens.
Dan Brown's method in writing is very unique. Although he uses a lot of scientific detail, the writing is not boring or monotonous. Many funny parts are added to give the story a lighter feel.
Overall, this was a very good book with lots of meaning on many different levels.

Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose

The book that I just finished is called Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose. This is a nonfiction novel. It is a very interesting book. The book follows the actions of the 506th Regiment during World War 2. The book begins by telling of how the men were trained before going to war. It is interesting how the men were trained, with countless marches and drills, to be some of the best soldiers.
When the men were sent into battle, they were given some of the toughest assignments. The company ended up taking 150% casualties. But the amazing part of this story is the bonds formed between the man as they went into battle with each other.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a story that is about family, friendship, and the salvation to be found in love. This book takes place in Afghanistan during the invasion of the Russians, then the Taliban, and finally of the U.S. Throughout this book, a major theme is the mistreatment of women in Afghanistan.

First of all, women are not allowed to choose their husbands and cannot refuse if a man asks to marry them. Women also have very few rights, especially under the Taliban. Women are not allowed to be outside of their house without a man at any time. A hisband may also force his wife to wear a burka, which covers literally the entire body except for the eyes.

My reaction to this book is that it is horrible what they do to women in that country. To think that this is based on real events is very scary. Overall this is a very moving story.