Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My book recommendation for this month is Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain. This book is on everyone’s short list for awards, and it deserves to be. Billy is a very young Iraqi war veteran home with member of his squad on a promotional tour following a horrific firefight in which a number of terrorists were killed. How Billy sees himself, his buddies and the larger world – both inside and outside of the way in which he has fought – will linger in your memory long after the book is finished. It is one of the best books I have ever read about the effects of war on combatants. It is wry, funny, sad and insightful. You cannot help but be moved by what you read.