B1
THE COURIER-TIMES IROXBORO, NC
',DEC. 03,2011
New York Times
-]|
BESTSELLERS
[
COMBINED PRINT & E-BOOK FICTION
1. KILL ALEX CROSS, by James Pat
terson
2. V IS FOR VENGEANCE, by Sue
Grafton
3. 11/22/63, by Stephen King
4. THE LITIGATORS, by John Grisham
5. DEVIL’S GATE, by Clive Cussler and
Graham Brown
COMBINED PRINT & E-BOOK NONFICTION
1. STEVE JOBS, by Walter Isaacson
2. KILLING LINCOLN, by Bill O’Reilly
and Martin Dugard
3. IMPERFECT JUSTICE, by Jeff Ashton
with Lisa Pulitzer
4. HEAVEN IS FOR REAL, by Todd
Burpo with Lynn Vincent
5. GABBY, by Gabrielle Giffords and
Mark Kelly with Jeffrey Zaslow
HARDCOVER FICTION
1. KILL ALEX CROSS, by James Pat
terson
2. 11/22/63, by Stephen King
3. V IS FOR VENGEANCE, by Sue
Grafton
4. THE LITIGATORS, by John Grisham
5. DEVIL’S GATE, by Clive Cussler and
Graham Brown
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. STEVE JOBS, by Walter Isaacson
2. KILLING LINCOLN, by Bill O’Reilly
and Martin Dugard
3. IMPERFECT JUSTICE, by Jeff Ashton
with Lisa Pulitzer
4. JACK KENNEDY, by Chris Matthews
5. HOW I GOT THIS WAY, by Regis
Philbin
PAPERBACK TRADE FICTION
1. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
2. THE NEXTALWAYS, by Nora Roberts
3. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TAT
TOO, by Stieg Larsson
4. SING YOU HOME, by Jodi Picoult
5. THE TIGER’S WIFE, by Tea Obreht
Paperback Mass-Market Fiction
1. SMOKIN’ SEVENTEEN, by Janet
Evanovich
2. THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS, by
Debbie Macomber
3. CRESCENT DAWN, by Clive Cussler
and Dirk Cussler
4. SECRETS TO THE GRAVE, by Tami
Hoag
5. CROSS FIRE, by James Patterson
Paperback Nonfiction
1. HEAVEN IS FOR REAL, by Todd
Burpo with Lynn Vincent
2. THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRI
ETTA LACKS, by Rebecca Skloot
3. UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS, by Jen
nifer S. Holland
4. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell
5. FINISH FIRST, by Tucker Max
E-Book Fiction
1. KILL ALEX CROSS, by James Pat
terson
2. V IS FOR VENGEANCE, by Sue
Grafton
3. THE LITIGATORS, by John Grisham
4. 11/22/63, by Stephen King
5. ZERO DAY, by David Baldacci
E-Book Nonfiction
1. STEVE JOBS, by Walter Isaacson
2. IMPERFECT JUSTICE, by Jeff Ashfon
wifh Lisa Pulifzer
3. HEAVEN IS FOR REAL, by Todd
Burpo with Lynn Vincent
4. GABBY, by Gabrielle Giffords and
Mark Kelly with Jeffrey Zaslow
5. KILLING LINCOLN, by Bill O’Reilly
and Martin Dugard
Hardcover Advice & Misc.
1. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS
2012, edited by Craig Glenday
2. PAULA DEEN’S SOUTHERN COOK
ING BIBLE, by Paula Deen with
Melissa Clark
3. GO THE _ TO SLEEP, by Adam Mans-
bach. Illustrated by Ricardo Cortes
4. NEARING HOME, by Billy Graham
5. SPONTANEOUS HAPPINESS, by
Andrew Weil
Paperback Advice & Misc.
1. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by
Gary Chapman
2. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE
EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and
Sharon Mazel
3. LUCKY PEACH ISSUE 2, edited by
David Chang and others
4. THE HAPPINESS PROJECT, by
Gretchen Rubin
5. CRAZY LOVE, by Francis Chan with
Danae Yankoski
Chiidren's Picture Books
1. HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, by Jan Brett
2. IF YOU GIVE A DOG A DONUT, by Laura
Numeroff. Illustrated by Felicia Bond
3. LLAMA LLAMA HOLIDAY DRAMA, by
Anna Dewdney
4. HEAVEN IS FOR REAL FOR KIDS,
by Todd and Sonja Burpo. Illustrated
by Wilson Ong
5. PRESS HERE, by Herve Tullet
Children’s Chapter Books
1. THE SON OF NEPTUNE, by Rick
Riordan
2. THE LEGO IDEAS BOOK, by Daniel
Lipkowitz
3. EVERY THING ON IT, by Shel Silverstein
4. THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET,
written and illustrated by Brian Seiznick
5. WONDERSTRUCK, by Brian Seiznick
SURE-FIRE
THRILLER
offers
fictional
account
of ‘Kill bin Laden’
BY PHYLISS BOATWRIGHT
FOR THE C-T
KBL: Kill bin Laden by John Weisman.
Nov. 2011 by William Morrow. Hardcover,
302 pgs. $26.99.
0
rdinarily, I’m not a Tinge fan of
military tales. My husband loves
Tom Clancy and tried to get me
to read one of his bloclsbusters,
but I couldn’t do it. I’ve enjoyed a
couple of movies based on Clancy
boolLS, but reading them is differ
ent.
That was not the case with John Weis-
man’s novel based on the death of Osama
bin Laden, the terrorist mastermind behind
the Sept. 11,2001 attacks on the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon that resulted in
the loss of 3,000 American lives.
This novel is spellbinding. Maybe be
cause I remember all too well the destruc
tion, death and devastation of 9/11. Maybe
because of the mixed emotions I felt when
I learned that bin Laden was dead at the
hands of U.S. Navy SEALS.
I was proud of the fact that we’d found
the terrorist and brought him to justice. I
do believe he was one of a few truly evil hu
mans. I am still in awe of what our military
did. I applaud every current, past and future
member of the United States’ armed forces.
I am grateful for what they do.
But, when I learned that bin Laden had
been killed, I struggled with my happiness
over his death. As a Christian, it was tough
for me to justify being happy over another
human’s death. And I know that I’m not
the only person who had or has mixed emo
tions about bin Laden’s death. Weisman ad
dresses those emotions in the character of
a Navy SEAL who is a devout Christian yet
understands that certain individuals - like
bin Laden - are so evil that they need to be
taken out before they take out more inno
cents.
Bottom line. I’m glad bid Laden is off the
planet and no longer poses a threat to any
of us. I’m grateful that a few brave people
made sure he could do no more harm.
And that is one of the main points of
Weisman’s book. I don’t have any personal
military experience. My father and two
uncles served during World War II. My hus
band served at the tail-end of Vietnam. A
couple of my cousins were in Vietnam. My
stepson served in the Marines during the
early stages of the War on Terror, and lost
good friends and comrades in Fallujah. My
cousin was one of the early casualties in Af
ghanistan. While working as a reporter at
The Courier-Times, I had the privilege of in
terviewing and writing about several World
War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghani
stan veterans.
And I think KBL does a great job of hon
oring the men and women who have and
continue to serve this great nation and pro
tect our freedom.
Aside from offering a great, subtle com
mentary on the wonders of our military,
Weisman also vividly points out the fact
that our soldiers are human beings, with
the same emotions, thoughts and doubts as
the rest of us.
The author knows how to set a scene and
provide rapid-fire action that keeps read
ers on the edge of their seats. When paint
ing practice or battle scenes, Weisman uses
present-tense, terse dialogue that puts the
reader smack in the middle of the action.
And as the book winds down - to its eventu
al climax with the death of bin Laden - the
sense of urgency grows ever stronger.
Weisman allows readers a view into the
minds and hearts of the United States’ brav
est, toughest warriors. He does it brilliantly
and with a great deal of respect.
At the same time that he’s showing us
deep respect for our military, Weisman pro
vides a spot-on commentary about our poli
ticians. He points out flaws on both sides of
the aisle, with what I perceive as great ac
curacy.
Weisman takes us back to mistakes made
by presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford,
Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and George
W. Bush. He also, without naming him spe
cifically, points out character flaws in our
current commander in chief Weisman’s
point is that, no matter how they start out,
by the time they reach the White House, all
of our leaders are controlled by their own
ambition and partisan, political handlers.
And that politics often interfere with what’s
right and good and perhaps truly best for
the country.
No matter your politics, Weisman’s fic
tional account of what went on behind the
scenes and at the scene of Osama bin Lad
en’s death is a captivating, exhilarating, in
spiring tale. He deftly places readers in the
thick of the action.
Many times while reading this novel, I felt
like standing up and shouting, “Hoo-yah!” It
is a wonderful tribute to our military.
-]|
BOOK BITS
|[
liV
riSliiHllutlia
BY PHYLISS BOATWRIGHT
FOR THE CT
“On Nov. 22,1963, fhree shofs
rang out in Dallas, President
John F. Kennedy died, and the
world changed. What if you
could change it back?’’
So begins the publisher’s de
scription of Stephen King’s lat
est tour de force, titled, simply,
11/22/63.
I haven’t read the book, but it
is on my Christmas list. I read
a few pages on a recent trip to
the bookstore, but knowing that
I won’t have time to read it until
Christmas break, I didn’t get it,
thinking Santa might listen to
some hints. As a charter school
teacher now, I don’t have the
time I used to have to devote to
pleasure reading, but I sure plan
to catch up during the generous
holiday break.
Returning to the book de
scription: “Stephen King — who
has absorbed the social, politi
cal, and popular culture of his
generation more imaginatively
and thoroughly than any other
writer — takes readers on an
incredible journey into the past
and the possibility of altering
it.’’
The synopsis states that the
story begins with Jake Epping,
a 35-year-old English teacher in
Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes
extra money teaching GED class
es. He asks his students to write
about an event that changed
their lives, and one essay blows
him away — a gruesome, har
rowing story about the night
more than 50 years ago when
Harry Dunning’s father came
home and killed his mother, his
sister, and his brother with a
sledgehammer. Reading the es
say is a watershed moment for
Jake, his life — like Harry’s,
like America’s in 1963 — turn
ing on a dime. Not much later
his friend Al, who owns the lo
cal diner, divulges a secret: His
storeroom is a portal to the past,
a particular day in 1958. And Al
enlists Jake to take over the mis
sion that has become his obses
sion — to prevent the Kennedy
assassination.
Now if that doesn’t sound
fascinating, I don’t know what
does. I used to love Stephen
King books, although I would
only read them in the summer
time, when I could sit outside
in the broad open daylight. I
haven’t read one for a while
now, because, like many prolific
aufhors. King started repeating
himself a bit. His writing was
still brilliant; it just seemed as
if the plots were basically the
same.
This book, though, I gotta
read.
Services librarian at the Person
County Public Library, recom
mended Miss Peregrine’s Home
for Peculiar Children by Ran
som Riggs a while back, and al
though I checked it out, I haven’t
been able to read it either. But I
scanned a few pages, and it looks
like it would be great fun for
‘tweens and teens, if you have
any young’uns in that age group
on your Christmas shopping
list. The synopsis goes thusly:
Amanda Weaver, Children’s
A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very
curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Pecu
liar Children, an unforgettable
novel that mixes fiction and
photography in a thrilling read
ing experience. As our story
opens, a horrific family fragedy
sefs 16-year-old Jacob journey
ing fo a remote island off the
coast of Wales, where he discov
ers the crumbling ruins of Miss
Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar
Children. As Jacob explores its
abandoned bedrooms and hall
ways, it becomes clear that the
children were more than just
peculiar. They may have been
dangerous. They may have been
quarantined on a deserted is
land for good reason. And some
how — impossible though it
seems — they may still be alive.
At the
Library programming
for December
On Tuesday and Wednes
day, Dec. 13 and 14, the Person
County Public Library will of
fer Christmas Storytime for
preschoolers at 10:30 a.m. each
day
On Thursday, Dec. 15, Rags
To Riches will perform “The
Gingerbread Boy” at 4 p.m. for
kids of all ages.
On Wednesday, Dec. 21, the
library will offer a showing of
Christmas Classic Movie at 3:30
p.m. The 90-minute movie is
good for ages five and up.
On Thursday, Dec. 29, fhe
Teen Book Club will meet at 4
p.m. in the Library Gallery.
The library will be closed for
Christmas from Dec. 24 to Dec.
27. It will reopen Wednesday,
Dec. 28, at 9 a.m.
Friends of
Library offering
new ‘Let’s Talk
Abont It’ series
Join the Friends of the Per
son County Library for the 2012
“Let’s Talk About It” series be
ginning Sunday, Jan. 29. The
2012 series, “Altered Landscapes
- North Carolina’s Changing
World,” features books written
in the new millennium by na
tionally recognized and award
winning men and women who
were born and raised in North
Carolina.
Through fiction or history-
based memoir, depicting love
and loss, family and friend
ship, longing and conviction,
the authors move their charac
ters, sometimes wrenchingly
through childhood into the
adult world. As innocence is
lost and life’s ever-present chal
lenges are made evident, the
questions of whether to stay
or go, to journey onward or to
return home, to accept or fight
back, come to the forefront.
Fortitude, faith, and forgive
ness, or lack thereof, shape de
cisions made at life’s turning
points, and we, like the charac
ters, come to realize that “hope
exists where it always has, in
human hearts, in strong memo
ries, in a commitment to reach
across the divide to hold an
other’s hand” as described on
the North Carolina Humanities
Council Web site.
The five books fo be dis
cussed every other Sunday af
ternoon on Jan. 29, Feb. 12 and
26, and March 11 and 25 are
Salt by Isabel Zuber; Garden
Spells by Sarah Addison Allen;
If You Want Me to Stay by Mi
chael Parker; Blood Done Sign
My Name by Timothy Tyson
and Plant Life by Pamela Dun
can. A guest scholar will pro
vide an insightful presentation
and lead a discussion from 2 to
4 p.m. each session. The books
are loaned to participants free
of charge and will be available
at the library circulation desk
beginning Monday, Dec. 12.
Book reviews and synopses
can be found at www.Amazon.
com or other bookseller Web
sites. The program is made pos
sible by a grant from the North
Carolina Humanities Council,
a statewide nonprofit and affili
ate of the National Endowment
for the Humanities, in partner
ship with the North Carolina
Center for the Book, a program
of the State Library of North
Carolina.
Those interested are invited
to pick up the books, and join
in with opinions, insights, and
enthusiasm on five Sunday af
ternoons in winter.
Person County Public Library
319 S. Main Street
Phone: 597-7881
Hours of Operation
Monday -Thursday, 9 a.m. - 6
p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Closed Sundays