May Books

Like I said in my last post, I've been on a bit of a reading tear lately :)  After I trudged through Catfish Alley, I've really flown through the last few!  First, I picked up Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil when we were in Savannah.  It's set in Savannah, and the book was in every tourist trap shop, antiques store, and art gallery we went to.  So, in pure Katie fashion, I just had to have it!!

The narrator leaves his hectic New York City life and temporarily settles down in Savannah.  He immerses himself in the culture and strives to get to know the city.  Of course, he meets several "characters" along the way - and I do mean characters!  There's The Lady Chablis, the transexual entertainer, Jim Williams, the eccentric antiques dealer, Danny, the pot smoking trouble maker, Minerva the voodoo priestess, and a whole host of others that make this story what it is.  While John is in Savannah, Jim Williams is accused of murdering Danny, and several trials ensue.  The murder mystery, combined with Southern Hospitality and eccentric characters, makes this book a great read! 

I wish that I had read this book before going to Savannah, because it does give history of the city, architecture, and people, that would have been nice to know before going.  The magic and majesty of the city comes through the pages, and the parties, gatherings, and nightlife are written in amazing detail!  The characters were my favorite part - they're so crazy and wacky.  This book makes we want to live in Savannah even more!!!

_________________________________________________________________________________


The next book I picked up was John Grisham's new-ish "The Litigators".  I absolutely love John Grisham, and I eagerly await every new book that comes out.  But to tell you the truth, I haven't been impressed with his latest novels.  Especially The Confession - I didn't even finish it - I was so depressed and it was so slow - Oh My Gosh - It was awful!  But anyway, from the first pages, I knew this book was going somewhere!  And boy was I right!

David Zinc is sick of his job - he's a very little fish in a very large law firm - stuck in his cubicle going over document after document about other people's money.  One day, he goes into work, turns right back around, and goes to a bar.  He drinks Pearl Harbors with a 90 year old woman, gets very drunk, and in a weird series of events, goes to work at the law firm of Finley and Figg - ambulance chasers with ambition, but little luck. 

The day David joins the "boutique firm" Wally Figg delves into litigation aimed at a cholesterol drug -- Krayoxx.  He joins big tort firms around the country, invests thousands of dollars the firm doesn't have, in the hopes of striking it big when the settlement comes in.  The story follows the case, and Figg, Finley, and now Zinc's disastrous attempts to strike it rich.  I won't spoil it for you - because the twists and turns make it good, but it's quite painful, and comical, to read as these lawyers go up against the big boys to win this case.
Meanwhile, David finds a huge litigation case on his own.  A little boy, hospitalized for lead poisoning, needs care his parents cannot provide.  David seeks out the makers of the "Nasty Fangs" the boy played with and works to get money for the family.

Grisham really goes back to the kind of writing he does well with this book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!  I even found a new cocktail  - the Pearl Harbor (Pineapple Juice, Midori, and Vodka)!!!

Also - have you been watching "the Firm" on NBC?  It started coming on in March - and was not renewed for next season, but it's FANTASTIC!!  It picks up on the McDeere family 10 years after the book, and Mitch gets involved with yet another firm and another sticky situation.  Austin and I record a couple of weeks at a time because we can't just watch one episode - it's too suspenseful!  So, if you're looking for something to watch this summer when nothing's on, I highly recommend it!!! 

katie