In 2023, I researched and then read to meet my various Stellar Reading Challenges (SRC) as well as my general book number target which I ultimately set at 100 books on Goodreads.
After several reviews of “My 2023 in Books,” I determined that I read 8 books which stood out as my “Top Reads.” Some books I came across while reading for SRC, another I read new translation, a couple were by favorite authors, and I read one after seeing the story play on screen.
Per usual, I listed the fiction in alphabetical order by author’s surname, nonfiction in order Dewey Decimal Codes. Books with SBR are linked.
Fiction
Two Kinds of Truth(Harry Bosch #20) by Michael Connelly
Cover of Days of Fury: Ghost Troop and the Battle of 73 Easting by Mike Guardia on a deep crimson colored background | Image Source: Goodreads
Local Tour SRC – Local Author – Houston, Texas, USA
5/5 When I set a goal of reading books connected to my hometown of Houston, Texas, USA for the Local Tour Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC), I knew some of those books should be by Houston authors. A writer featured on the humble blog’s Houston Area Content Creators Week back in April, I sought out to be read (TBR) books by Mike Guardia. Click here to see the post dedicated to Guardia. I also wanted to read more about Desert Storm and naturally chose Days of Fury: Ghost Troop and the Battle of 73 Easting as one of my entries for the Local Tour SRC. I received a copy of this book for my birthday (I requested the book). With the passing of Lieutenant John Mecca this past September, I made sure to finish this book and post a review of it in a hopefully timely fashion.
“A riveting true story of tank warfare on the frontlines of Operation Desert Storm… August 1990: Iraqi forces under the command of Saddam Hussein invade the tiny emirate of Kuwait. Within hours, the Kuwaiti defenses collapse under the onslaught of the Iraqi Army. In response, the US military leads a coalition of thirty-four nations in what becomes Operation Desert Storm—a violent campaign to eject the Iraqis from Kuwait. At the tip of the spear are the men of Ghost Troop in the US Army’s 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment… Commanded by Captain Joseph Sartiano, Ghost Troop was among the lead elements of the US VII Corps’ advance into Iraq. On February 26, 1991, Ghost Troop encountered a brigade-sized element of the Tawakalna Division— the elite frontline forces of Iraq’s Republican Guard. Although significantly outnumbered and outgunned, Ghost Troop won a decisive victory with minimal losses to their own ranks. History would call it the Battle of 73 Easting… “Days of Fury” is their story.”
I felt transported to the Battle of 73 Easting in Days of Fury. This immersion helped me better see how monumental Ghost Troop’s win of the battle was for our nation. I also got to know the different people of Ghost Troop. This was in the vein of Walter Cronkite’s “You Are There.” I would recommend Days of Fury to anyone wanting to know more about Desert Storm.
Quotes come from book flaps/cover and are featured on color blocks.
Houston Area Content Creators Week (HACCW) continues here on the Starry Night Elf (SNE) Blog. Learn more about HACCW by clicking here.
Gnomies, it delights me to introduce to today’s content creator, Mike Guardia. A graduate of University of Houston, Mike delivered a number of presentations in the Greater Houston area, including my library.
Many of my longtime Gnomies most likely recognize Mike’s name as I featured many of his books in my Starlight Book Reviews (SBR). Check out my SBR of his books as well as other posts featuring his work by clicking here.
An internationally-recognized author and military historian, Mike has written over 20 books, including the critically-acclaimed Hal Moore: A Soldier Once…and Always, the first-ever biography chronicling the life of LTG Harold G. Moore, whose battlefield leadership was popularized by the 2002 film We Were Soldiers, starring Mel Gibson. You can find Mike’s books on Amazon. Visit Mike’s website by clicking here.
Mike also creates and curates dynamic content on social media. Check out the following stellar sites:
In 2022, I spent much time thinking about books and reading. Not only did I exceed my Goodreads goal of reading 100 books, I also continued to regularly post Starlight Book Reviews (SBR). As mentioned in Episode #65, I completed 3 out of 5 Stellar Reading Challenges (SRC) by the afternoon of December 30. The next day, I also finished the 2022 Sacred Text SRC. Click here to read about last year’s SRC. I officially kick off the 2023 SRC on Sunday, January 15 so there’s still time to complete last year’s SRC.
Below are what I consider my “Top 9 Reads” in 2022. Some books I read for various SRC, others just happened to be stellar reads for last year. I listed the fiction in alphabetical order by author’s surname, nonfiction in order Dewey Decimal Codes. Books with SBR are linked.
Cover of Book – The Combat Diaries: True Stories from the Frontlines of World War II by Mike Guardia – centered on a ‘light gold’ background | Cover Image Source: Goodreads
Set in the Day Stellar Reading Challenge – 1940s
Set inthe Years 1941-1945/ Published in 2022
5/5 I previously posted a Starlight Book Review (SBR) of Mike Guardia’s Skybreak…, as a book for the Local Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC). Check out that review by clicking here. When I learned that Guardia’s The Combat Diaries: True Stories from the Frontlines of World War II would hit shelves while I took on the Set in the Day Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC), I slated this work, my first nonfiction read for this SRC, for my book Set in the 1940s. Click here for more information on this SRC. I own a copy of The Combat Diaries… and enjoyed reading it without a due date looming.
“From the beaches of Normandy to the shores of Iwo Jima. Harrowing tales of combat…as told by the men who lived it… World War II was the most destructive conflict in human history. At its peak, the US military drew some 16 million men into its ranks to defeat the Axis Powers. They came from nearly every walk of life – farmers, tradesmen, teachers, lawyers, professional athletes, and even Hollywood celebrities. But whether they came from the wheat fields of Kansas, the streets of New York, the backlots of Tinseltown, or the dugouts of Fenway Park, these everyday heroes answered the call when their country needed them. They were ordinary men who accomplished extraordinary things. Today, we call them the “Greatest Generation.”… “The Combat Diaries” recounts the harrowing tales of more than a dozen heroic veterans – including: -A young crewman aboard PT-306, who ferried Allied spies and British Commandos onto mainland Europe. -A young USAAF pilot who was among the few Americans to fly a British Spitfire into combat.-A Navy combat diver (“frogman”) who swam at night amongst the Japanese-held islands, diffusing underwater mines and setting demolitions to assist the Marines’ amphibious assaults.…and many more…. Members of the Greatest Generation are leaving us at the rate of several hundred per day. Indeed, the youngest veterans of World War II are now in their nineties. “The Combat Diaries” is a testament to their enduring legacy.”
The Combat Diaries… pulled me in from the start. Guardia related the real life stories of these individuals who served in various World War II (WWII) theaters in such an engrossing way. He lets the subjects directly speak to the reader. It often surprised me to learn some of these subjects died because I felt like I was in the room with interviewees. I found The Combat Diaries… to be one of the greatest vehicles for transporting me to WWII. Bataan Death March survivor Ken Porwoll’s plight, among others, resonated with me.
I recommend The Combat Diaries… to readers, new as well as familiar to WWII literature. This book offers numerous perspectives on a beyond pivotal event. In addition to the text, Guardia included stellar pictures.
Charles E. “Commando” Kelly from Chapter 13 of The Combat Diaries… can be seen in this fabulous video from RetroWave History. Check it out here:
Quotes come from book flaps/cover and are featured on color blocks.
Cover of Skybreak: The 58th Fighter Squadron in Desert Storm by Mike Guardia | Image Source: Goodreads
5/5 I return to one of my favorite sections of Nonfiction with a Starlight Book Review (SBR) of Skybreak: The 58th Fighter Squadron in Desert Storm by Mike Guardia, a graduate from the University of Houston. Thus, I’m counting this book as such I’ve read by an author from my hometown of Houston in the Read Local Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC). This book could also meet the requirement of a 1990s book for the Set in the Day SRC. I believe this is my first 5/5 rating on a nonreligious SBR, too.
“The top MiG Killers of Operation Desert Storm… August 1990: Iraqi forces under the command of Saddam Hussein invaded the tiny emirate of Kuwait. Within hours, the Kuwaiti defenses collapsed under the onslaught of the Iraqi Army. In response, the US military led a coalition of thirty-four nations in what became known as Operation Desert Storm—a violent air and ground campaign to eject the Iraqis from Kuwait. At the tip of the spear were the men of the US Air Force’s 58th Fighter Squadron… Mounted aboard their F-15C fighter jets, these young aviators took to the sky against the Iraqi Air Force. Although confident in their capabilities, these untested American pilots were flying into combat against the latest-and-greatest of Soviet-built aircraft – including the MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum.’… Despite the odds, however, the men of the 58th Fighter Squadron decimated the Iraqi Air Force in one engagement after another. On the first day of the air war (January 17, 1991), Captain Jon “JB” Kelk claimed the first aerial victory of Desert Storm, downing a MiG-29 in combat. In less than 30 days, the 58th Fighter Squadron flew more than 1,600 combat sorties and destroyed 16 Iraqi aircraft – more than any other coalition air unit… Based on hours of interviews and archival research by author Mike Guardia, this book reveals an intimate, no-holds-barred account of modern aerial combat…as told by the men who lived it… ‘Skybreak’ is their story.”
Skybreak… is an exhilarating flight of the Fighter Squadron in Desert Storm. This is the thrilling introduction to this valiant squadron. I especially loved learning about the callsigns of the squadron. “ET” was my personal favorite. I liked how dynamic and alive Skybreak… was to read; a contemporary history of those whose praises must be sung more. In fact, I highly recommend all of Guardia’s works I’ve read so far and look forward to reading his books in the future.
Another way to take on the Read Local SRC is to select a 100+ page written by an author from and/or living in your hometown/region. I’ve selected Houston (see my first post by clicking here) as my setting for reading local. The following is a list of my Houston Authors:
Fiction Authors
Katherine Howe
John Lescroart
Attica Locke
Joan Lowery Nixon
Bryan Washington
Nonfiction Authors
Lora-Marie Bernard
Brené Brown
Mike Guardia
Stephen L. Klineberg
Donald Miller
Also, check out and join the discussion on Goodreads at the following links:
Many bookish bloggers have shared their Top 9 Books of 2021! I wanted to make sure I took advantage of all 365 days of 2021 before I determined my Top 9 Reads. These books are organized in Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) as opposed to any sort of ranking. I reviewed a number of these books while some other books’ reviews are pending. Reviewed books are linked to their respective Starlight Book Reviews (SBR). Regardless, I recommend all of the above books to anyone wanting a stellar read.
Gnomies, did you have a Top 9 of 2021? Did you enjoy more than that? Less? As you know, your gnomie hostess is always seeking another stellar read! No, they don’t have to be organized by DDC, either! … sne
This is the eleventh post of Starry Night Elf’s RAA Childhood Fave Share.
Today’s reader is best-selling author and historian Mike Guardia. Mike has previously presented at the library where I work and many of his books are available for check out in my library. Keep up with the latest on Mike and his books online at:
I was already pleased when Mike was willing to participate in sharing his childhood faves; I was further impressed by the book he remembered – Scary, Scary Halloween, written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Jan Brett. As a boy, Mike especially enjoyed Bunting’s great rhyming scheme which was paired with Brett’s powerful illustrations.
Bunting and Brett were definitely darlings of my days leading Preschool Story Time in my previous job. These picture books were so popular among kids and adults alike and we were lucky when any of them were on the shelf at the library. Do you have any Bunting/Brett faves? What was a staple in your childhood story time days?
Stay tuned to Starry Night Elf for my continued look back upon beloved books of readers’ childhoods. Also, please share some of your Childhood Faves! Find Starry Night Elf online by clicking on these links:
Starry Night Elf 