I’m not someone who spends too much time trying to evaluate my reading life to determine what kind of reader I am. (Not that it’s not a fun thing to do). I know that most of the time what I’m reading is not new, and I’m usually reading something that has made a considerable impact and has staying power in the reading world. I like to play catch up on what I’ve missed out on. I don’t read to inform or confirm my worldview. I sometimes, only sometimes, read with the intention of considering someone else’s worldview. I mean, you don’t have to be all that purposeful about that, it’s sort of an automatic benefit of reading anyway. (Now look who’s spending too much time evaluating her reading life…) Forgive me.
I do know this. When I want popular, plot-based, fast-paced fiction, John Grisham is my guy. I don’t believe I’ve ever been disappointed in one of his books. I’ve read all of his sports novels, and I’ve read A Painted House, Skipping Christmas, Camino Island and a handful of his legal thrillers. (Some folks assume all his writing is of the legal type but it’s not.)
I recently finished Sycamore Row and I looovved it!!! I wanted to pick this book up every free moment I had.
Jake Brigance, the same Jake Brigance of A Time To Kill, (Matthew McConaughey if you saw the movie), is still living and working in Clanton, Mississippi. On a Monday morning Jake receives an envelope containing a letter and a hand-written will from Seth Hubbard, a man who just the day before committed suicide. In this will, Mr. Hubbard revokes a previous will and completely cuts out all of his children and grandchildren. He has amassed an incredible fortune and he leaves 5% to his church, 5% to a long lost brother and 90% to his black, middle-aged house keeper. SHOCK AND AWE!!
It’s just good, ya’ll. It’s good. If you’re interested, you can read here where someone gushed about it in The Washington Post a few years ago when the book came out.
I read this one as part of Roof Beam Reader’s 2018 TBR Challenge. Only two more books to go!
Lost in Literature 