{a thought for Thursday} Truth in fiction

To me, fiction is a fast-track to the sort of truth with which facts interfere. ― Sarah Terez Rosenblum

{wordless wednesday} what is it?

Happy Wordless Wednesday! Do you know what this is a photo of?

{read: Southern thriller} A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

An atmospheric Southern novel, A Land More Kind Than Home in some ways reminded me of Tom Franklin's Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter in its use of setting and dialogue to convey mood and character.

The plot moves fast, starting with two brothers, Jess, 9, and Christopher, 11, who each see things they shouldn't have. Christopher can't tell anyone what he saw because he's mute, but the consequences are nevertheless swift and devastating.

The story is told by three narrators: Jess, Adelaide, a midwife who's in her 80's now and carries the history of the town with her, and Sheriff Clem Barefield, who has his own history that ends up playing a role in the ongoing events.

Wiley Cash does a superb job of weaving in the back stories and flashbacks to provide a nuanced account of not only these few tragic days but also what's led up to them. Snakes, crazy Christians, tragedy, healing, and perhaps even a little redemption and hope — this book has it all, and you won't want to put it down. Plus, it has a great title. Who can resist?

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash (HarperCollins, 2012)
My rating: 4 stars

{wordless wednesday} Don't spit at me!

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

{read: war fiction} Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

This is a war story, which is fitting with the Fourth of July holiday coming up. What price will we pay for freedom? Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk tells the story of a 19-year-old Iraq war hero (Billy Lynn) and his squad. After an embedded Fox News TV crew catches a firefight on tape and Bravo Squad becomes an American hit on TV and YouTube, its surviving members are flown home for a Victory Tour. Concluding with tickets to the Cowboys football game on Thanksgiving Day, this tour whisks the war veterans through America, coincidentally (or not) taking them through the swing states during an election year. What's not mentioned to the adoring public is that after this two-week tour ends, the heroes have to go back to Iraq for another 11 months.

This is an introspective, somber novel told through the eyes of Billy Lynn. I cringed but also nodded in recognition at the descriptions of some of the tactless and insensitive people Bravo Squad met.

Billy struggles to reconcile what he's seen and done with the lives that these "ordinary" Americans are living, finally asking, "To learn what you have to learn at the war, to do what you have to do, does this make you the enemy of all that sent you to the war?"

There are several other insightful, sometimes funny, observations like this that caught me, including a comparison to the WWII Greatest Generation fighters, saying (paraphrasing) that today's generation of warriors is at least the top of the bottom third.

This is not quick or easy reading, but I'd recommend it if you're interested in exploring modern-day war and its costs from the teenage soldier's POV.

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain (Ecco, 2012)
My rating: 4 stars

{crafts} Tissue Paper Pom-Poms How-To

MarthaStewart.com has become one of my favorite site for crafting projects. This Tissue Paper Pom-poms are beautiful and would be a cheap way to create a festive theme for any party.

Introduction

These dahlialike pom-poms appear to float in the air; in reality, they are hung from the ceiling with monofilament, imparting a cheerful radiance to any party.

You can also buy a Tissue Paper Pom-Pom Kit from Martha Stewart Crafts.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Tissue Paper Pom-Poms How-To - Martha Stewart Crafts 

Step 1

Stack eight 20-by-30-inch sheets of tissue. Make 1 1/2-inch-wide accordion folds, creasing with each fold.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Tissue Paper Pom-Poms How-To - Martha Stewart Crafts 

Step 2

Fold an 18-inch piece of floral wire in half, and slip over center of folded tissue; twist. With scissors, trim ends of tissue into rounded or pointy shapes.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Tissue Paper Pom-Poms How-To - Martha Stewart Crafts 

Step 3

Separate layers, pulling away from center one at a time.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Tissue Paper Pom-Poms How-To - Martha Stewart Crafts 

Step 4

Bend wire into a loop to fit around napkin, and twist end around loop to secure.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Tissue Paper Pom-Poms How-To - Martha Stewart Crafts 

{a thought for Thursday} Incompetence

It is one of the essential features of such incompetence that the person so afflicted is incapable of knowing that he is incompetent. —William Ian Miller