Thursday Lists

I have recently finished reading:

19. Fall On Your Knees by Ann Marie Macdonald - see below for my thoughts

20. The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant - Set in early 1800s Massachusetts, this story is about a small community on Cape Ann coming to an end. This book was okay for me. It was well written, but quite short, and by the time I felt the characters were developed the book was more than half over. Overall, it was not particularly satisfying. I enjoyed her book The Red Tent much more.

21. The Innocent Man by John Grisham - I haven't read Grisham for years, and probably wouldn't have read this if it were not for my bookclub. This is Grisham's first nonfiction book. It is mostly about one particular case in which two men were wrongly convicted, spent many years in jail, on death row and in the case of one man, 5 days away from execution. The beginning of the book was a bit stale, a lot of history about the convicted man and in particular his mental incapacity. It's hard to say I 'enjoyed' this book but the second half was better for me, involving the time after the trial, while he was on death row, the appeals process, and life after prison. The subject matter is quite horrifying, a poor man given a poor man's trial, with a cut-rate lawyer and no available money for investigation for the defense from the state. This is of course meant to save the taxpayer money, when in fact they have now spent literally millions to house the convicted, pay for the appeals process, and the civil suit filed against the state. The book shows a frightening state of affairs of the US justice system.

On a lighter note:

Books that have found their way to my home via Paperback swap and Bookmooch

1. Plan B by Emily Barr - For a light read.
2. Call the Darkness Light by Nancy Zaroulis
3. Union Street by Pat Barker
4. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont

The last two are Viragos but not of the lovely green cover variety. Beggars cannot be choosers.

Currently reading:

One Fine Day by Mollie Panter-Downes (VMC)

On my nightstand:

When She Was White by Judith Stone