Doggone it!

I hate it when I dislike a book that I'm obligated to write a review of because I received it as a gift with that understanding. I did not enjoy reading GHETTOSIDE by Jill Leovy (2015). I found it terribly boring to read the same thing (or a slight variation) time after time.I recognize that the constant repetition was to emphasize that there had been murder after murder after murder, but the point was well made long before the author quit telling us.
Most of it was well-written, but there were a few sentences that had me going,"Huh???" The description of the trial was well done, and a lot of respect is due to the author for the amount of research that went into the story
Write for us again, Jill Leovy, only next time, spare us the unnecessary repetition. 

He always surprises me

I've been one of John Grisham's fans for a long time, and have read the majority of his books; my favorite being A TIME TO KILL (his first). I'm ordinarily so deeply involved in reading the book that I don't even try to anticipate where it might be going, therefore, I'm usually surprised by his twist in the plot. I recently read THE INNOCENT MAN, which was a true story, and I really didn't care for it. That was another surprise for me.Then someone gave me FORD COUNTY (2009). This is a collection of seven of his short stories, each of which is excellent and completely different from the others. The next-to-last story, FUNNY BOY, is a heartbreaker. I really believe John Grisham is one of the very best of our contemporary writers.

Destined to be among my all-time favorites.

I've just finished reading THE ADVENTURES OF DON VALIENTE AND THE APACHE CANYON KID for the second time. This book, co-authored by John Aragon and Mary W. Walters (2012) is a positive delight, especially to those of us who live in New Mexico.The story is a bit had to describe, but roughly, it's about a young woman with problems of her own who is taken under the wing of a skinny old man suffering from dementia who mistakes her gender and determines to teach her/him the Code of the Caballeros.
The book is a complete farce and had me laughing aloud. Think Blazing Saddles. 
My thanks to both authors. I adored it.