Skip to main content

What I'm Reading Now - The Yellow Birds



This book is set during the Iraq war.  The story is told in first person by Pvt John Bartle.  He and his fellow soldier (and friend) Pvt Murphy are the main characters in the story.  It follows them as they are deployed to Iraq.  As they are leaving Pvt Bartle promises Mrs. Murphy that he'll make sure her son gets home safe....he then tells the reader that this was a promise he would break.

The story follows the 2 and their platoon as they battle in the cold and rain and dark.  As they hear of fellow soldiers being killed and wonder when it will be their turn.  And then Pvt Murphy dies - it's a bit hazy as to exactly what happens (at least it was to me!).

Upon his return to the US Pvt Bartle struggles with depression and trying to figure out where he fits in with his mother, his friends and within his hometown.

I struggled with this book - alot.  I almost quit reading it a few times.  I'm not sure if it was the subject matter or the way it was written, but it was a hard book for me to read.  Knowing that this was written by a former soldier who fought in the Iraq war makes it even harder to grasp - even knowing that it's fiction.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Labor of Love (Part 1 of 3)

I love lace. I love the delicacy with which it presents itself to the world. That being said, I dont really use it very much. I do have some family doilies, and my wedding dress has some lace, but I dont go too crazy. I like to be able to clean things, and not have dust mites clinging to every available piece of cloth (they cling to everything else anyway.) So, I decided to try a painting technique. Why not paint the lace on the object? Easy to clean, lovely design, what could be better? We got this child's vanity in an old attic pick. Yes, we went into someone's hot and muggy attic for several hours. Yes, they let us jsut dig through things (can you believe it?!?!) unsupervised. Yes, we had to take our own flashlights. And yes, there was mouse droppings and dead birds up there. It was gross, but worth it. My boy LOVED it! American Pickers is his favorite tv show. So this school bus yellow vanity sat there looking at us. Begging for new life! I knew if we left ...

What's Cookin Wednesday - Sweet Potato & pinto bean tacos

SWEET POTATO AND PINTO BEAN TACOS adapted from thugkitchen.com ....but there is offensive language on the site (and in the recipes) - so you've been warned! 3 cups of cooked pinto beans (about 2-15 ounce cans) 1 teaspoons of coconut or olive oil (Olive oil is what I had) ½ cup veggie broth or water (water....) 2 teaspoons smoked paprika or chili powder (I went chili powder) 2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses (I used what I had in the cabinet) 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (I have both of these at home usually, went with lemon juice this time around) 2-3 garlic cloves 1 pound of sweet potatoes (this should be about 2 cups when you chop it all up) ½ of a yellow onion 1 teaspoon coconut or olive oil salt to taste soft corn tortillas standard taco toppings that you like to add. Warm the first teaspoon of oil in a medium pot. Add the beans, water, chili powder, molasses, vinegar, and garlic. Get it to start bubbling slowly for about 5 m...

It only took me two years...

This bathroom, our only bathroom, has been a fun challenge from the start. Its one that has needed just about everything changed, but we are taking it slow. So far we have a new tub/shower and toilet. Oh, and a new fan/vent. In almost 2 years... Another 5 and we should have it done. :-) With only one bathroom, it take a lot longer. But last month, I got industrious and broke out some paint! I was going for grey, and it came out a lot more blue. Good thing everything else is white! Next up: vanity, sink, medacine cabinet and light fixture. At some point, but dont hold your breath for pictures soon.