BOOK TALK: THE APPEAL

Last night I stayed up late to finish the latest book I have been reading. It is The Appeal by John Grisham. We are big fans of that author and read all of his books. I had bought this one for Darrell for Valentine's Day and had it on my "to read" list for a long time. Last week I finally got to it.

The book is typical Grisham with it being another lawyer/trial book. I loved the first page. It was such an example of writer's craft. The first sentence is a grabber lead: "The jury was ready." It goes on to repeat that phrase at least three times to make it another craft of "Power of Three".

Then the first full paragraph is a true example of description. It goes like this: "After forty-two hours of deliberations that followed seventy-one days of trial that included 530 hours of testimony from four dozen witnesses, and after a lifetime of sitting silently as the lawyers haggled and the judge lectured and the spectators watched like hawks for telltale signs, the jury was ready."

That first page was enough to sell me on the book. I was not happy with the ending. My good friend, Marsha, had warned me that it was not something she was happy with, so I was a little leary. She was right. I am thinking Mr. Grisham had a bigger picture in mind than just that I would have a "happily ever after" ending. I was to learn something about life. If that was his goal, it worked. I did.

If you are a Grisham fan, a Mississippi fan, a lawyer/trial fan...you will enjoy the book. Beware though, you may not be happy with the ending, but you will be glad you read it!

Summer Book Read

This weekend I have been working on our book for my book club. Yes, I know the meeting date isn't until the last week in June. Yes, I know I should at least wait until summer vacation to start it. Yes, I know I should be reading professional books now. But I couldn't wait. The cover called to me. The title called to me. I AM reading the book NOW!
The book is called The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry. I am hooked. I won't tell you a summary or anything about it since some other members of our club may sneak a peek at this page. This I will tell you: it has me on the Edge of My Seat!
I also will tell you that I am using my comprehension skills. I thought it would be fun to use some metacognition as I read. I took a notebook that I keep as a Reading Notebook. I put the title and date at the top of a page. I then began with Questions I had BEFORE I read the book. As I read each chapter I underline and make notes in the margins of the book. (I only paid $.01 for it, so I think I can do that.) At the end of each chapter, I transfer those notes into the notebook. I write my questions, my connections, my predictions. I write all the new words I am learning. This is a Victorian mystery set in London in 1881. There are lots of words I don't know! I am learning so much. I will have so much to talk about.
I can't wait to talk about the book. I can't wait to see who done it! I can't wait to read another book by this author. The cover says: "They were the finest of families--until murder set skeletons rattling in their closets..." Why don't you add this book to your summer beach list and then we, too, can talk about it! Happy Reading!