Book Review: The Appeal by John Grisham

John Grisham delves into the legal system after a jury finds for a widow against a large company. She lost her husband and her son to their chemicals. The owner of the large company doesn't want to pay the damages so he comes up with a ingenious plan: to buy the appeals court by creating a new judge.

As a "constant reader" of John Grisham I was going to read this book no matter what. It is a little different than his other novels. The beginning makes you think of "The Rainmaker", but the rest of the book is new to Grisham readers. The dirty world of politics is on display, from campaigns to elections. Can someone create a new judge out of thin air? Will the company receive the justice they deserve?

I would say that this is an average Grisham novel. There are some twists and turns and an ending that I liked and that is surprising. If you are a Grisham fan or like novels on trials or politics this may be for you. "Politics has always been a dirty game. Now justice is, too."

Book Review: Playing For Pizza by John Grisham

On my quest to read every John Grisham novel I picked up and read Playing For Pizza. Whether good or bad, it is not another one of his legal thrillers. It is the story of third-string Cleveland Browns quarterback Rick Dockery who after failing as an NFL quarterback has to settle on playing football in Parma, Italy.

He is thrust into the new culture and has to adjust to many new things, including a lot less pay. His new teammates and the game of football are pretty different from the NFL . They do have a SuperBowl in Italy, though. They also have great food and wine, which he definitely takes a liking for. He also finds out what he can still do for a team when depended on.

Playing For Pizza is a decent little yarn that is interesting if you are into Italy, like myself. If you like Grisham's style of writing, you'll recognize it here (e.g. his quaint little conversations, the fun characters and his flow of action). A short book that you could probably kick out in no time. A good read for when you are stressed and don't want to think too much. Happy reading.