February books
Mar. 2nd, 2011 12:48 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
dantheman23.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
christianreaderOK, first let me say I'm not actually like some huge foaming John Grisham fanboy, it's just that my mom reads them and then gives them to me when she's done. So I had a whole pile of them sitting around and started reading them. They are pretty good though, definitely page turners. OK, here we go:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Steig Larsson
Pretty disappointing. After all the hype it’s gotten and all the billions of people who have read it I expected something really good and this wasn’t really it. It was fine, not bad at all, and I’m not mad that I spent my time reading it or anything, but it definitely wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. It had two main problems: length and predictability. The book was 640 pages long, and the first 200 were honestly pretty boring. I put the book down for a couple weeks at that point and was talked into starting up again. It got better almost immediately afterward, but those first 200 pages were brutal and not even necessary; the whole book could have been shortened a great deal without any loss. The other problem is that while those first pages did set up a much better part of the book, that part was still not a Grade A mystery. It was fine, but I figured out what was going on pretty early on. I’ve read a fair number of mysteries and legal thrillers and that kind of thing by now, so I guess I’m a little spoiled. There’s also this whole other plot involving the main character and his magazine he owns/works for and their rival that didn’t interest me at all. That whole plot could have been thrown out and the book would have been better in my opinion. The whole book could have easily been cut down to about 450 pages and would have been better for it. I don’t think I’m going to bother with the rest of the series. 3/5
The Runaway Jury
by John Grisham
This was fun. It’s all about a lawsuit filed against Big Tobacco. It’s hard to even go into the plot without revealing a lot, so I won’t do it (by the way, if I had read the back of the book before starting it I would have had a totally different experience reading it. I hate that so much, glad I didn’t see it. Even the tagline gives a lot away). I thought it was interesting from the legal thriller standpoint and a good read, but it also got me thinking about the whole tobacco liability issue. I’m not sure where I stand on it, but I like the fact that this book got me thinking about a larger issue like that. 4/5
The Testament
by John Grisham
A little different than the other Grisham books I’ve read. It does center around lawyers of course, but this time it’s more of an adventure story than anything else. The plot revolves around a rich old man worth $11 billion and his horrible heirs. Like all the other Grisham books, grabs you on page one and doesn’t let go. The man can definitely write great characters. 3.5/5
The Brethren
by John Grisham
This one was fun. I don’t know how he thinks of some of this stuff. The plot is very different but of course very interesting with the usual compelling Grisham characters. 4/5
The Innocent Man
by John Grisham
This is actually a true story, although it reads very similarly to his fiction titles. It tells the sad tale of Ron Williamson, who was falsely accused, convicted, and incarcerated for killing a woman he never met. It actually talks about 3 other men who suffered the same fate, all in a small area of Oklahoma. It’s very scary because it’s true and shows how much power the state has to ruin an individual’s life if they so choose.
I used to wonder how anyone could be a defense attorney and how they could defend the scum they have for clients. But eventually I figured it out: not only do these people deserve a vigorous defense, but the state needs to be kept in line. I could still never be a defense attorney, but I do see the need. After reading this book you’ll see it even more. 3.5/5
Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder and other true cases
By Ann Rule
This is the first Ann Rule book I’ve read. I’m not real impressed with her as a writer, but the book was a good read. She does true crime and she’s from Seattle so the case take place in around Seattle (and one in Salem!) so that makes it a little more interesting for me since I know the various streets she’s talking about. I’ve read lots of (fiction) murder mysteries and I never think about it, but these are a little creepier since you know they actually happened. Overall, I won’t go out of my way to read more of her stuff, but if Mom throws some more at me that’s fine too. 3/5
Books for February: 6
Books for 2011: 10
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Steig Larsson
Pretty disappointing. After all the hype it’s gotten and all the billions of people who have read it I expected something really good and this wasn’t really it. It was fine, not bad at all, and I’m not mad that I spent my time reading it or anything, but it definitely wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. It had two main problems: length and predictability. The book was 640 pages long, and the first 200 were honestly pretty boring. I put the book down for a couple weeks at that point and was talked into starting up again. It got better almost immediately afterward, but those first 200 pages were brutal and not even necessary; the whole book could have been shortened a great deal without any loss. The other problem is that while those first pages did set up a much better part of the book, that part was still not a Grade A mystery. It was fine, but I figured out what was going on pretty early on. I’ve read a fair number of mysteries and legal thrillers and that kind of thing by now, so I guess I’m a little spoiled. There’s also this whole other plot involving the main character and his magazine he owns/works for and their rival that didn’t interest me at all. That whole plot could have been thrown out and the book would have been better in my opinion. The whole book could have easily been cut down to about 450 pages and would have been better for it. I don’t think I’m going to bother with the rest of the series. 3/5
The Runaway Jury
by John Grisham
This was fun. It’s all about a lawsuit filed against Big Tobacco. It’s hard to even go into the plot without revealing a lot, so I won’t do it (by the way, if I had read the back of the book before starting it I would have had a totally different experience reading it. I hate that so much, glad I didn’t see it. Even the tagline gives a lot away). I thought it was interesting from the legal thriller standpoint and a good read, but it also got me thinking about the whole tobacco liability issue. I’m not sure where I stand on it, but I like the fact that this book got me thinking about a larger issue like that. 4/5
The Testament
by John Grisham
A little different than the other Grisham books I’ve read. It does center around lawyers of course, but this time it’s more of an adventure story than anything else. The plot revolves around a rich old man worth $11 billion and his horrible heirs. Like all the other Grisham books, grabs you on page one and doesn’t let go. The man can definitely write great characters. 3.5/5
The Brethren
by John Grisham
This one was fun. I don’t know how he thinks of some of this stuff. The plot is very different but of course very interesting with the usual compelling Grisham characters. 4/5
The Innocent Man
by John Grisham
This is actually a true story, although it reads very similarly to his fiction titles. It tells the sad tale of Ron Williamson, who was falsely accused, convicted, and incarcerated for killing a woman he never met. It actually talks about 3 other men who suffered the same fate, all in a small area of Oklahoma. It’s very scary because it’s true and shows how much power the state has to ruin an individual’s life if they so choose.
I used to wonder how anyone could be a defense attorney and how they could defend the scum they have for clients. But eventually I figured it out: not only do these people deserve a vigorous defense, but the state needs to be kept in line. I could still never be a defense attorney, but I do see the need. After reading this book you’ll see it even more. 3.5/5
Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder and other true cases
By Ann Rule
This is the first Ann Rule book I’ve read. I’m not real impressed with her as a writer, but the book was a good read. She does true crime and she’s from Seattle so the case take place in around Seattle (and one in Salem!) so that makes it a little more interesting for me since I know the various streets she’s talking about. I’ve read lots of (fiction) murder mysteries and I never think about it, but these are a little creepier since you know they actually happened. Overall, I won’t go out of my way to read more of her stuff, but if Mom throws some more at me that’s fine too. 3/5
Books for February: 6
Books for 2011: 10
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no subject
Date: 2011-03-02 10:35 pm (UTC)Have you read The Firm yet? It's still my favorite Grisham. :) I think he's a great storyteller. I got to meet him a few years back and he's a very engaging and personable speaker, too.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-03 01:41 am (UTC)I agree! When I was younger I had a tendency to keep at things (movies, books, games) even if I wasn't loving them just to try to finish them. Not any more! If something isn't working for me I ditch it. Not that Dragon Tattoo fell into that category, but it definitely wasn't all that!
The Firm was actually the first Grisham novel I read, and not that long ago (listened to it actually). It's probably my favorite Grisham novel so far of the 8 or so I've read. That's cool that you got to meet him, I can totally see him being very interesting to talk to. I think he's a great storyteller as well. It's March 2nd and by then end of the night I'll have two more of his novels for this month done ; )
no subject
Date: 2011-03-05 04:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-05 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-03 06:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-03 06:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-03 06:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-02 10:40 pm (UTC)Excellent point about the scariness of how dependent we are on good people in various places in the judicial and government systems to do the right thing--and vulnerable if they do not. In the U.S. we do have more checks and balances than most countries, but there is still lots of room for abuse. It's got to be a wearing, thankless job for the people who are in such positions trying to do the right thing day after day.
Edit: Corrected typographical error.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-03 01:44 am (UTC)I still have ideas about being one of those people : )
no subject
Date: 2011-03-04 04:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-08 06:19 am (UTC)