All the Horrible Girliness

If you are at all interested in the war in Iraq, please read No True Glory by Bing West. This book talks mostly about the battles in and for Fallujah up to 2005. West keeps his opinion out of it for the most part, except in the heroic paintings you get of the individual soliders and Marines, but I bought it. He keeps his conclusions separate, at the end. It's some good, solid reporting. You'll be amazed at how important politics and media are in the waging of modern war.

It's also just a thrilling read. It's accessable even for those of us who have no understanding of military terminology.

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In other news, I was annoyed by the end of The Lovely Bones. Not angry, throwing things angry, like I was at the end of White Oleander (I have come to the conclusion that Janet Fitch is a sadist who hates her readers), but it was enough to make me close the book with a dissatisfied groan.

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But Larry Brown! How have I missed him all my life? He is a sneaky, sneaky writer. So deceptively simple. You close his book, and for an hour you're narrating your own life in your head in his voice. I've never known a writer who could better paint a scene. Thank you, thank you Miss Snark. I'm enjoying Fathers and Sons now. It is testosterone at its simple, beautiful finest.

posted by Samus @ 12:43 PM