Something to think about...

A few days ago, I finished reading UNFAIR, a new book about our criminal justice system by Adam Benforado, who is a law professor at one of our American Universities. This is not a quick read, but it's very worth reading. Each chapter makes the reader aware of the unrecognized biases that creep into the deliberations about an accused perpetrator. Perhaps starting with the arresting officers, incorrect assumptions may result in lengthy jail terms for persons who are guilty of nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time Read the book now, and if you're called for jury duty, REMEMBER IT..

Recent Acquisitions

It's time to tell about two absolutely wonderful books that I felt needed to be in my personal library. In my opinion, both books should be considered "classics," and whether or not they are, they are at least spectacular best-sellers. The first one is RAIN OF GOLD by Victor Villasenor (1991). What a book! It tells the stories of two migrant families from Mexico. who came to the United States in the early 20th century. The author researched the family myths and interviewed anyone he could find to verify the tales. The early stories seem to be a mix of fact and fiction, but the later stories of working in the fields of California have the ring of truth. If you're looking for a book of adequate length to occupy you for several nights, I strongly recommend this one.
The other book probably needs no description whatsoever. It is BLESS ME, ULTIMA  by Rudolfo Anaya (1991) It  seems that all my friends have read this book (as I had), but then, the majority of my friends live in New Mexico and this is a New Mexico story. If you haven't read this book, you're missing out on something wonderful. It is so beautifully written and tells of the deep love between a boy and his great-aunt. This is one of my favorite books of all time.

Even better than the first

Sue Monk Kidd has written another great book. This one is THE INVENTION OF WINGS (2014). In it, she tells a story of life in the south just prior to the Civil War. In particular, the focus is on a young young black girl given to a privileged white girl as a gift on the occasion of her eleventh birthday. The immediate problem is that the eleven-year-old believes slavery is wrong and wants to set the other girl free, but this is not allowed. Both girls get to tell their stories in alternating chapters as they grow into womanhood and beyond. Great book!

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.

Yes, but....

When We Were Friends by Elizabeth Joy Arnold (2011) is one of those books I can't quite decide about. I enjoyed the book and would welcome the opportunity to read others by the same author. I guess that's the bottom line.
At the same time, I'll admit that none of the characters engaged me fully. The narrator, Lainey, had many traits that were admirable but still, she never quite got me around to really liking her. I came closer to honestly disliking Lainey's long-time friend Sydney. Sydney was a liar and a manipulator, and both characteristics were obvious from the first chapter. Actually, most of the plot was apparent very early on. Nonetheless, I liked it.