Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

Over the years I’ve read enough books hyped to the sky as the next Great American Novel only to be disappointed to find that they were really just Pretty Decent American Novels.  So I don’t think I can be blamed for approaching the much-touted “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” by Ben Fountain with skepticism.  Luckily, it’s fun to be proven wrong sometimes.  

The backdrop of the story is the battle of Al-Ansakar Canal: A small force of American soldiers are victorious in a heroic firefight against a much-larger group of Iraqi guerrillas.  The battle is recorded by an embedded Fox News reporter and soon goes viral back home on YouTube.  Bravo Squad is instantly transformed into national heroes.

The Bush administration flies Bravo home for a carefully staged “Victory Tour” to drum up flagging support for the war.  After mind-numbing days of photo opps and parades, Bravo is scheduled to spend its last day before returning to Iraq by participating in the halftime show at the Thanksgiving Day football game.

The story tells the events of that Thanksgiving Day.  For 19-year-old soldier Billy Lynn, the day is overwhelming – he falls in love with a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, is pressured to go AWOL by his sister, hobnobs with the Cowboys' owners, and participates in a tramatic halftime show with pop stars Destiny’s Child. The most telling scene is when Billy and his squad, members of America's best-trained and most-deadly fighting force, meet America’s best-paid and most-pampered fighting force – the Dallas Cowboys.  

It’s hard to explain how a book can be both heart-breaking and hilarious but there are flashes of both in this story.  In many ways Billy behaves like a typical 19-year-old -- he tries to impress a cheerleader, sneaks drinks of alcohol, and is almost kicked out of the game for fighting.  Yet he is also very astute in his understanding of his role as a pawn in the marketing of war to the American public. His war experiences gave him a maturity well beyond his 19 years.  These conflicting facets of Billy's character are part of the magic of this book.

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is the best book I’ve read in a long time.  Truly, the only criticism I have is of its long, clunky title.

Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman MYS Mil

         I listened to the audio version of this book and I enjoyed it a lot.  In the Adirondack Mountains of New York Nora Hamilton is waking up.  She quickly realizes that her husband, Brendan, is not in bed with her.  She doesn't hear the shower and that disturbs her.  Finally she realizes that she can smell the coffee brewing.  Much relieved she goes to find him.  But the coffee pot was set the night before and came on with a timer.  When she finally finds Brendan her life changes in a split-second.  It seems he has committed suicide but has left no note.  Nora has to find some closure and she searches to find out about the last few days of his life.  She only finds more questions.  A small town should offer lots of comfort to a grieving young widow.  But this small town has a lot of secrets they want to keep no matter what the cost.  Lots of interesting characters and you can't possibly figure out who you can trust.  Nora and Brendan were so happy together - but why didn't he tell her about the most tragic day of his life.  A good mystery!

Reunion at Red Paint Bay by George Harrar FIC Har

      Red Paint is known as the "friendliest town in Maine".  Of course that means it is a pretty boring place to live - especially if you are the editor of the paper and would like an exciting story once in a while.  But since Simon Howe thinks it is a great place for his wife and son he is happy.  Then one day a mystery begins.  He receives a postcard with a cryptic message and no signature.  When they continue he and his wife become more concerned about the 'postcard stalker'.  Not the type of exciting story he really wanted.
      As is true with all of us, Simon is hiding a few secrets from his past.  He hadn't thought about them for a long time but now things are coming back to haunt him.  It was an engaging story that kept my interest until the end.  Just another reminder of how the past always has a way of catching with us!

Saturday Night Widows by Becky Aikman 306.88 Aik

     Becky Aikman was in her forties when she lost her husband following a battle with cancer.  After about 15 months she decided she needed to get on with her life and attended her first grief support group.  She went thinking she would meet a group of people who wanted support in going forward. That is not what she found.  In fact they seemed to be rather hostile towards her. The next day she contacted Jonathan, the social worker who had led the meeting.  After a brief conversation he said, "You seem unhappy with the group. Maybe you just don't fit in. Maybe you shouldn't come back." She didn't but she still wanted to connect with other widows. Eventually she rounds up six women.  After a bit of a rocky start the first night she decided it might just work.  The only thing they had in common was their widowhood. Some dealt with a sudden death others a lingering one.  Some had kids and some didn't.  At some level they all wanted to move on.  They met once a month and were able to say or ask anything - it is often easier to talk to strangers about some topics. It was a very readable book and I enjoyed it.  It provides some insight into the territory of widowhood although it is in no way a ''what to do when your husband dies" book. 

Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss 613.2 Mos

      Moss has won the Pulitzer prize for explanatory reporting. (He was also a finalist twice.)  He is good.  I think everyone should read it.  If you have kids it should be mandatory.  It should be used in a classroom in high schools to really educate our students. If we can change what people are eating in this country we will make such an impact on the future.  Not only will people live a longer, healthier life but our health costs could be contained.

Here I am going on and on and I haven't even told you about the book!   If you just looked at the Salt Sugar Fat part of the title you might think it is just another book telling you to watch these three things.  But this book is about the companies that have been loading our stores with things that are bad for you, that cause you to crave more and more of them and that will likely lead to health problems - but they don't care of course.  They just want money, lots and lots of it. You will recognize the names of the companies - they are in your cupboards, your refrigerators and maybe on your lips as you are reading this.  They will spend millions to hook you or your family.  They will spend millions inside labs to calculate the "bliss point" of sugar or the "mouthfeel" of fat.  Adding chemicals to our food makes it last longer, or makes it look better or makes it taste sweeter.   The marketing strategies are sometimes just diabolical!  When Coke started marketing their half-liter bottle the reason was this: "It's fundamentally about giving people an opportunity who aren't heavy users, heavy drinkers, to seriously consider the opportunity."

We also have this book available as an audio book.  Read it or listen to it.........but please pay attention!!!!!

XO by Jeffery Deaver MYS Dea

       Another suspenseful novel from Deaver.  Young Kayleigh Towne is flying high in her career as a country singer and songwriter.  With fame comes a price.  Emails are sent out to her fans.  Most people realize that those 'letters' are not exactly real.  It only takes one deranged mind to take that innocent email signed with "XO"  to turn Kayleigh's life into a nightmare. When Edwin listens to the lyrics of her songs he knows that she really understands him.  She has tried everything to discourage him including having a lawyer and the police talk to him.  Soon it is not just Kayleigh who seems to be in danger but those around her.   The CBI gets involved when murders seem to be connected to certain songs of Kayleigh's.  It was an entertaining mystery.

The Two Week Wait by Sarah Rayner FIC Ray

     This is the story of two women with the same wish - to be a mother.  Lou is in a serious relationship with her partner Sofia.  When Lou finds a lump which leads to surgery she realizes that if she is going to have a baby she better get started.  Unfortunately Sofia is not so keen to have a child. So she has to make up her mind if she can do this motherhood thing on her own - and she also will need a sperm donor.   Cathy is a woman in her early forties.  She and her husband, Rich, have wanted a child so badly but Cathy had cancer and now she is infertile.  The only possibility for either of them to realize her dream is to take a chance.  Lou can't afford the fertility treatments.  Cathy could carry a child, but needs eggs from another woman.   The story seemed to be true to life concerning the fertility problems. Although their circumstances are totally different, both Cathy and Lou are going down the same scary path.  I assumed when I began the book that they were going to meet, support each other and become best of friends.  It's not like that at all. 

A Silence of Mockingbirds The memoir of a Murder by Karen Spears Zacharias 364.152 Zac

      I read quite a bit of non-fiction.  I like that things are not made up to suit the plot of a story.  The problem with non-fiction is that things are not made up - and therefore this genre can be sad and heartbreaking.  Zacharias is an investigative journalist and an author.  It is not surprising that she would write a book. What did surprise me was that she knew the people involved.  And as with all the people involved, she wondered where the system went wrong and what should and could have been done to prevent such a tragedy.  It is not an easy book to read as far as the subject matter goes.  A young girl, Karly, suffers a lot of abuse but the mother, Sarah, always has a story to explain it.  Her ex-husband is suspicious, the day care provider is suspicious and others as well.  Reports were made. The reasons Karly's hair (her pride and joy) was sheared off according to her mother was because of mats that she couldn't get out. Bruises?  Well, Karly was always running into things.  We have all heard the same stories through the years.  And still young, innocent children die in horrible ways.  Sarah's boyfriend, Shawn, is in prison for the murder of Karly.  He refused to speak to the author so we don't really know what he has to say for himself.   The book is well-written but emotionally hard to read.