Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

I was a little skeptical about this–like, is there anything left to say about the Iraq War? Isn't it kind of beating a dead horse with a drone at this point?–but I heard enough great reviews about it that I picked it up, and I'm glad I did.

It's definitely a satire of the (W) Bush era, and Fox News, and Hollywood, but it's populated with such human characters that it feels fresh. It's the story of Billy Lynn and his fellow soldiers from Bravo Squad, who have become minor celebrities due to their embedded Fox News journalist's footage of sketchily-described skirmish. They're back to the US on a 2-week Victory Tour, during which they attend a Dallas Cowboys game, which is when most of the book's action takes place. It's a story of courage, hypocrisy, and the “band of brothers” love the Bravos have for each other.

Did I say it's funny? It's funny: “Okay, so maybe they aren't the greatest generation by anyone's standard, but they are surely the best of the bottom third percentile of their own somewhat muddled and suspect generation.”

I also think this would have a lot of teen appeal. Billy's only 19, and he grapples with a lot of big issues while being given limited information.

Also, Beyonce is in it.

Okay, I really did like this book, but I question whether it counts as another Catch-22, maybe because I read Catch-22 when I was 14 and so don't remember it so well.

But this I liked all on it's own merits, the ridiculousness harshness of the war against the celebrity culture of the US. I think it might be a book that has to sit a little bit since I ran through it in one day (I brought it to the bar with me, I stopped reading when the b-day boy showed up, it's not a problem - it's a QUIRK.

Focused on a single afternoon of a Thanksgiving weekend football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears the book manages to invoke the spirit of the United States from the heart of Texas, post 9/11 when Bush was in his ascendency, Fox ruled the news airwaves and we were looking for WMDs and ways to oust Saddam.

No wonder it garners comparison's to Catch-22. It's a wonderfully satirical novel where every character in the book feels like a metaphor for a larger idea. OMG the cheerleader represents the American people!

With the 1%, Hollywood and millionaire athletes glad-handling American troops it has all the subtlety of a Dan Brown novel. Fountain will go into incredible detail about the millions spent on outfitting the Dallas cowboys. The thousands of shoes needed every year, that include shoes made for dry conditions, wet conditions, grass and astroturf. The latest technologies arming their helmets. The thousands of towels used in a day to ensure their comfort. The warehouses of talcum powder, sunscreen, gum and Gatorade required for these industrial sized humans. And with a curt nod, he'll move on to the next scene, leaving you to digest those bits of information.