Book Club Monday: American Sniper by Chris Kyle

American Sniper is one of those books that you read just to see what the fuss is about - at least it was for me. Like many others, I saw the movie in theaters and opted to pick the book up to see what they'd changed for the film. While they both stand on their own two feet just fine, I thought they complemented one another wonderfully.

The book's author, Chris Kyle, was a Navy SEAL with the highest number of confirmed kills in Navy history for a single sniper (I believe), and did a staggering four tours of Iraq, fighting in Fallujah and Ramadi - some of the most dangerous places in Iraq at the time.

Unfortunately, Chris was killed in February 2013 while at a shooting range with a couple of vets he had been trying to help with PTSD, as well as issues that arose after coming home from overseas. His killer was convicted earlier this year. While the book doesn't go into specifics about Kyle's death, I think it gave an insight into war that most civilians never think about - especially in the early 2000's, when the Middle East was rife with insurgency and, at least Iraq, had no governing body. The stories within the pages of American Sniper not only opened my eyes to this, but to how lucky we all are, as Americans, to have people as selfless as Kyle in our own armed forces so that we never have to see the reality of war first-hand, on our oil.

Throughout the book, there were small quotes from Chris' wife, Taya, which really helped me, as a reader, understand both sides of the story. Those portions of the book humanized Chris Kyle, for me, at least. Being the wife of a Navy SEAL can't be an easy job, especially amidst a war where she was raising two children alone.

As someone who appreciates our armed forces as an American, but not in the guns-God-government kind of way, I found myself feeling like I learned a lot from American Sniper, and got to see the other side of war, as I mentioned earlier. Whether you saw the film and are curious, like I was, or just looking for an interesting read, American Sniper is an excellent choice, and is definitely worth the read.

How did you celebrate Record Store Day 2015?

Whether you did or didn't celebrate, Record Store Day is a great event for anyone who loves music. Founded in 2007, the event celebrates independent record stores for all they are - local places who contribute more to music than any big-box store. Most recently, there have been exclusive presses put together for the event, which are incredibly popular and cause lines outside of record shops at 7AM on the third Saturday in April.

photo stolen from Rock 'N Roll Land

This year, I was one of those people! Standing in line outside of one of my favorite record shops, Green Bay's Rock 'N Roll Land - I was near the back, since I didn't arrive until about 6:45. What was I there for? The second Sons of Anarchy soundtrack on vinyl. That's it! Of course, I walked out with more than that, but it isn't really the point. It was great, and refreshing, to stand in line with people who genuinely love music and who wanted to support a local business in the meantime.

Say what you want about Record Store Day as a whole, and how it is nothing but a cash grab for artists to re-release things or overprice them, or blah blah blah. Obviously, those things don't matter a whole lot to me, seeing as that's my reaction. To me, it's a great event that exposes local record stores to business, whether new customers or regulars like me. And who can complain about that?

the pandemonium inside the store.

my spoils.

As you can see, I got what I went for, as well as a numbered reissue of the first Social Distortion album, the re-press of Elvis' first recording from Third Man, and a Lucero 7". I felt great about all of my purchases, but most of all, I felt great about supporting a local business.

These days, you can order damn near anything online - from records to toilet paper, really - and if you wanted, you could never leave the house and have everything delivered to your door. It is refreshing to me to be able to message the guys at the record shop and get them to order the things I want, instead of ordering them online. This way, I know exactly who I'm dealing with, and I'm supporting someplace local. Sure, I may pay a couple extra dollars, but that isn't the point.

Even if you didn't participate in Record Store Day, do you have a local record store that you like to hang out at? Do you have any great albums collecting dust in your basement? Get 'em out and give 'em a listen! You would be surprised at how much better vinyl sounds than even digitally recorded music. And even if it isn't a record shop, get out and throw some money at your favorite local businesses. They're worth supporting!