The Reckoning by John Grisham

Although in many ways an ordeal, John Grisham's The Reckoning, while kind of corny and bawdy, is a great book that I got a lot out of. Grisham claims that the book comes from daily conversations or "tall tales" with other attorneys by the water cooler. Some of this is reflected in the outrageous events of the book, but the book also does an excellent job of depicting the hardships of warfare and the secrecy of The South. The dialogue is good, and the characters well depicted. Definitely a long, but great, read. Recommended! Merry Christmas!

Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill

 Over the course of the last month, I read Mary Gaitskill's Bad Behavior, which I would consider her most famous book. Although my first Gaitskill book was Don't Cry, this book has more of her themes of abuse in a relationship. Although I haven't read much by her (I plan to), I did read Romantic Weekend, and I would be surprised if I didn't consider it the best. Great, unnerving stuff about the darker parts of us all. Recommended!

Mason and Dixon

 Despite some initial reluctance (he is so accomplished as a person!), I am starting to warm up to Thomas Pynchon as a writer! The Crying of Lot 49, Gravity's Rainbow, and Slow Learner are all three challenging yet fascinating books! His grasp of language and punctuation is quite expert! However, after my latest attempt to read one of his books, Mason and Dixon, I fear I am revisiting my belief that he is a flawed writer. For 300-350 pages or so, the book is typically bizarre, unintelligible, yet highly readable Pynchon. However, at around this point, the book clearly becomes incomprehensible and overly difficult gibberish. Although initially seeming to be a fun book in the vein of Kurt Vonnegut, it proves to be similar to a book by James Joyce or John Barth. In a very unique case for this blog, I would not recommend it, but the experience of reading Mason and Dixon (even if only in part) is a singular and unforgettable one!

The Camino series by John Grisham

 I recently read Camino Island and Camino Winds by John Grisham, which comprise his Camino series. In many ways, these books are both beautifully and realistically written, with many startling and wrenching plot twists to keep you involved from beginning to end. However, unlike The Rooster Bar and Skipping Christmas, the plots often involve offputting and frankly sleazy events on the parts of the characters that are regrettable and difficult to read. Much of this involves the sex lives of the characters, who often are publishers and hack writers who jump into bed with each other at a moment's notice and who chronicle these events in their own books for their own sick pleasure. These moments are bizarre and upsetting, and make these books difficult to read. The characters are also criminal, greedy, profane, and murderous, which makes them additionally difficult to relate to. For this reason, these are definitely some tough, tough books. Interestingly, there is also a fictitious drug mentioned in Camino Winds mentioned in the context of one of the character's books, and I have seen fictitious drugs and drugs in general mentioned in a number of other works of fiction lately. Is this a reference to a previous book, such as Brave New World, or is it a recent fad in publishing lately to refer to fictitious drugs? Whatever the reason, it seems regrettable that such a theme be explored so routinely in publishing, with drugs and drug abuse in and of itself being a debatable topic in the field of entertainment. By and large, however, I did enjoy the realism and excitement offered in these books and regard them as worth reading. However, I may need to take a break from John Grisham in the near future.

Run With The Hunted

I recently read Charles Bukowski's fiction and poetry anthology Run With The Hunted. Bukowski is probably my favorite writer, and this anthology is a powerful demonstration of what makes his depiction of isolation and suffering so great. Bukowski is the ultimate antihero, and his stories harken back to experiences that I and many readers have faced. I highly recommend this book as the perfect starting point for Bukowski! 

Once Upon A Time. . . In Hollywood

 After an initial attempt, I was finally able to see Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time. . . In Hollywood. This is a great, and in it's own way, very scary movie that incorporates the Charles Manson story/mythology into a new story all its own. There are some great monologues, individual scenes, and a spectacular climax that I would say make this (no kidding) Tarantino's best film. Don't fear the Manson family! Check this one out!

The President's Daughter

 I recently finished Bill Clinton and James Patterson's The President's Daughter. This, in many ways, is a highly entertaining and thrilling book about the kidnapping of the President's daughter. It depicts in many ways how depraved and evil kidnappers and criminals can be. Some sequences are harrowing, while others are downright action oriented and thrilling. I would highly recommend this book!