Celebrate National Military Appreciation Month: Inspiring Adult Fiction and Nonfiction Reads

Updated April 29, 2026
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Alive Day : a memoir
Fugett, Karie
Paper Book
A searing, unflinchingly intimate memoir about one young couple caught up in the machinery of America's military system, learning to live and love through war and all that comes after "Astonishing . . . both a love story and a gripping account of the cost of war."--Stephanie...
American Heroes: From the #1 Bestselling Authors of Walk in My Combat Boots
Patterson, James
Paper Book
A #1 national bestseller from the authors of Walk in My Combat Boots, celebrate the devotion and sacrifices of our nation's bravest heroes with this collection of stories from those serving in the line of duty. U.S. soldiers who served in overseas conflicts-...
ASVAB Premium Prep 2026-2027
Kaplan Test Prep
Paper Book
Fully updated for 2026-2027, ASVAB Premium Prep is the gold standard preparation system designed to help you secure your place in the armed forces. Developed by seasoned ASVAB tutors and military professionals, this guide offers unparalleled value for aspiring military personnel through a...
Blind tiger : a novel
Brown, Sandra
Paper Book
From a New York Times bestselling author, a war-weary soldier jumps from a moving freight train to avoid trouble-and lands in more than he bargained for. On the day Thatcher Hutton arrives in Foley, Texas, a local woman goes missing. Thatcher becomes the...
Chamber divers : the untold story of the D-day scientists who changed special operations forever
Lance, Rachel
Paper Book
The previously classified story of the eccentric researchers who invented cutting-edge underwater science to lead the Allies to D-Day victory In August 1942, more than 7,000 Allied troops rushed the beaches of Normandy, France, in an all but-forgotten landing. Only a small...
Code girls : the untold story of the American women code breakers of World War II
Mundy, Liza
Paper Book
The award-winning New York Times bestseller about the American women who secretly served as codebreakers during World War II--a "prodigiously researched and engrossing" (New York Times) book that "shines a light on a hidden chapter of American history" (Denver Post).
Drownproof : eight life lessons to keep your head above water
Stumpf, Andy
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Featuring a foreword by Jocko Willink! A motivational guide to success and leadership based on the author's experience as a Navy SEAL. Drawing from his extensive military career, renowned Navy SEAL Andy...
Every day is a gift : a memoir
Duckworth, Tammy
Paper Book
In this New York Times bestseller, discover the inspiring story of Illinois senator and Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth. "Raw, unfiltered, powerful." --Adm. William H. McRaven  In Every Day Is a Gift, Tammy Duckworth...
Every Weapon I Had: A Vietnam Vet's Long Road to the Medal of Honor
Davis, Paris
Paper Book
The story of a Green Beret commander's heroism during the Vietnam War, and the long fight to recognize his bravery. When Col. Paris Davis was selected to lead one of the Green Beret A-teams organizing resistance to Communist incursions into South Vietnam, his commanding officer...
Healing Wounds : A Vietnam War Combat Nurse's 10-Year Fight to Win Women a Place of Honor in Washington, D.C
Evans, Diane Carlson/ Welch, Bob (CON)/ Galloway, Joseph (FRW)
Paper Book
Featured in Kristen Hannah's new book The Women What is the price of honor? It took ten years for Vietnam War nurse Diane Carlson Evans to answer that question--and the answer was a heavy one. In 1983, when Evans came up with the vision for the first...
The military history book
Gilbert, Adrian
Paper Book
Discover the key themes and big ideas behind the key events in the history of warfare--from the dawn of civilization to the 21st century. Tracing the epic 5,000-year story of warfare from the earliest battles to the War on Terror, The Military History Book explores and...
Peace Is a Shy Thing: The Life and Art of Tim O'Brien
Vernon, Alex
Paper Book
The first literary biography of Tim O'Brien, the preeminent American writer of the war in Vietnam and one of the best writers of his generation, drawing on never-before-seen materials and original interviews. "Vietnam made me a writer." --Tim O'Brien ...
The River We Remember
Krueger, William Kent
Paper Book
AN EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by a shocking murder, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling novel, an instant New York Times bestseller and "a work of art" (The Denver Post). On Memorial Day...
The sailing of the Intrepid : the incredible wartime voyage of the Navy's iconic aircraft carrier
Williams, Montel
Paper Book
Shoot like a girl : one woman's dramatic fight in Afghanistan and on the home front
Hegar, Mary Jennings.
Paper Book
"A must-read about an American patriot whose courage and determination will have a lasting impact on the future of our Armed Forces and the nation."--Senator John McCain On July 29, 2009, Air National Guard major Mary Jennings "MJ" Hegar was shot down while on a Medevac...
The Survivor: How I Made It Through Six Concentration Camps and Became a Nazi Hunter
Lewkowicz, Josef
Paper Book
"Sobering, unforgettable reading. This is a standout of its kind." - Publishers Weekly "A riv­et­ing, deeply mov­ing mem­oir. The writ­ing is descrip­tive and dra­mat­ic, pre­serv­ing Lewkowicz's deep emo­tions." - Jewish Book Council This is the remarkable story of Josef Lewkowicz-...
The things they carried
O'Brien, Tim
The Unit : my life fighting terrorists as one of America's most secret military operatives
Gamal, Adam
Paper Book
The first and only book to ever be written by a member of America's most secret military unit―an explosive and unlikely story of service and sacrifice. Inside our military is a team of operators whose work is so secretive that the name of the unit itself is classified....
Walk in my combat boots : true stories from America's bravest warriors
Patterson, James
Paper Book
Discover "the stories America needs to hear" (Admiral William H. McRaven, US Navy (Ret.)) with these moving and powerful recollections of war, told by the men and women who lived them. Walk in my Combat Boots is a powerful collection crafted...
The war on warriors : behind the betrayal of the men who keep us free
Hegseth, Pete
Paper Book
AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP'S NOMINEE FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE Real men fought for our freedoms. It's time we fought for theirs. Pete Hegseth joined the Army to fight extremists. Then that same Army called him one. The military Pete joined twenty...
Why We Serve : Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces
Harris, Alexandra N./ Hirsch, Mark G.
Paper Book
Rare stories from more than 250 years of Native Americans' service in the military Why We Serve commemorates the 2020 opening of the National Native American Veterans Memorial at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the first landmark in Washington, DC,...
The Wives
Gorrindo, Simone
Paper Book
"[Simone] Gorrindo's prose is inviting and fluid, and her storytelling is intimate and vivid...[an] engaging, evocative memoir." --The New York Times Book Review "A hopeful, unifying memoir." --People This profoundly intimate memoir...
The women
Hannah, Kristin
Paper Book
A #1 bestseller on The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times! From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women--at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a...
You are worth it : building a life worth fighting for
Carpenter, Kyle
Paper Book
The youngest living Medal of Honor recipient delivers an unforgettable memoir that "will inspire every reader" (Jim Mattis) NATIONAL BESTSELLER | A Marine Commandant's Reading List selection On November 21, 2010, U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Kyle Carpenter was...

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