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!