JMRL’s newest book club, Books on Tap, meets on the first Thursday of the month at Champion Brewery at 7pm. In January, we discussed Kevin Power’s The Yellow Birds, a novel about two young soldiers, a bloody battle in Iraq, and the fallout of choices made in war.

Our readers noted that the story was universal. While specific horrible things happen to the characters, the novel allows you to reflect on “things you wished didn’t happen” and that “all pain is the same.”  While we debated Power’s intended audience, we did note that the tone wasn’t sentimental. The story felt authentic and didn’t romanticize war or warriors.  While the group didn’t agree with all of the praise heaped on this book by reviewers, we did think it was an important contribution to literature on the horrors of war.

More Information:

Check out other books by Kevin Powers in the JMRL catalog.

Read more about Power’s National Book Award Finalist award at the official website.

Looking for a readalike? The titles below were recommended by book club members. Need more?  Ask for a recommendation through JMRL’s What Do I Read Next? service.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

Fives and Twenty-Fives by Michael Pitre

Redeployment by Phil Klay

The Things They Carried  by Tim O’Brien

The Best Years of Our Lives (feature film)

Join us on Thursday, February 4th to discuss The Turner House by Angela Flournoy.