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Darynda Jones’ third and final book in her Sunshine Vicram series, “A Hard Day for a Hangover” finally came out in December. It was worth the wait, although not her most engrossing novel. As you might expect with a third book, there were several references to the first two books for the reader who is new to the mayhem that can occur in tiny Del Sol, New Mexico. The entire series takes place over six months in the life of Del Sol’s new sheriff, Sunshine Vicram, as she tries to keep the town, and her own amateur-sleuth, 15-year-old daughter, safe. The crime that is the catalyst for this book is darker than those in the previous books, but in the end, everything is tied up - nice and neat.
I had not read anything by Charles Martin since his 2006 novel, “When Crickets Cry,” and I didn’t realize that he has authored 18 books, including “The Mountain Between Us,” which was adapted into a movie starring Idris Elba and Kate Winslett in 2017. His 2015 novel, “Water From My Heart,” was a recent book club book, so I was reintroduced to his writing. It’s the fast-paced story of Will, who has been on his own since the age of 16. At the age of 40, Will has become successful and cold-hearted - a self-described bad man. When tragedy strikes the few people he holds dear, he blames himself, and sets out to do what he can to rectify the situation. Along the way, he confronts his past, and finds forgiveness and redemption.
Many years ago, a college classmate came in one day with a new hairstyle, explaining that when she told the stylist she wanted something different, she meant something different for her, not different from everyone else. I thought of that when every reader of “The Boys from Biloxi” said that it was different. I wondered if they meant it was different for John Grisham or different in general. I had to read it to answer that question, and because the Mississippi Gulf Coast is our stomping ground.
It’s just different in general. The book is described as a legal thriller. (It is John Grisham, after all.) However, it is told in the third-person, so it feels like reading the script of an investigative TV show. There is no dialogue at all until chapter five, and then it’s just one exchange. By chapter seven there are a few more exchanges between characters, but only a few. Having said that, I enjoyed it. Like I said, I know the area. We have a friend whose father was the FBI agent-in-charge for cleaning up the Dixie Mafia, so the subject was interesting.
Many years ago my sister had a best friend named Trina. Trina had a sister named Gwyn. Their father was an author. In 1954, Mac Hyman published “No Time for Sergeants,” a best-selling novel that was adapted into a popular Broadway play and a 1958 film starring Andy Griffith. The comedy was a major hit, and is considered largely responsible for launching the careers of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. Griffith made his television debut in the 1955 television play of the book, which was broadcast as part of the United States Steel Hour on ABC, and went on to reprise the role on Broadway. The popular 1960’s TV series “Gomer Pyle, USMC” (a spin-off of Griffith’s “The Andy Griffith Show”) is thought to have been inspired by Griffith’s role in “Sergeants.” In other words, it was a big deal.
In 1996, Gwyn Hyman Rubio published her own book, “Icy Sparks.” Set in Appalachia, it’s the coming-of-age story of Icy Sparks. Orphaned and raised by loving grandparents in Kentucky’s coal country, Icy has to learn to deal with being different. In Icy’s own words, from her father she inherited the fear that resided in his coal-black eyes, and from that fear she gained wisdom. That fear placed books in her hands and led her to search for the answers. From her mama she grew to see the world through hope-filled eyes. Such a lovely book, which became a best-seller in 2001 when it was selected as part of Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club.
Happy Reading!
I had not read anything by Charles Martin since his 2006 novel, “When Crickets Cry,” and I didn’t realize that he has authored 18 books, including “The Mountain Between Us,” which was adapted into a movie starring Idris Elba and Kate Winslett in 2017. His 2015 novel, “Water From My Heart,” was a recent book club book, so I was reintroduced to his writing. It’s the fast-paced story of Will, who has been on his own since the age of 16. At the age of 40, Will has become successful and cold-hearted - a self-described bad man. When tragedy strikes the few people he holds dear, he blames himself, and sets out to do what he can to rectify the situation. Along the way, he confronts his past, and finds forgiveness and redemption.
Many years ago, a college classmate came in one day with a new hairstyle, explaining that when she told the stylist she wanted something different, she meant something different for her, not different from everyone else. I thought of that when every reader of “The Boys from Biloxi” said that it was different. I wondered if they meant it was different for John Grisham or different in general. I had to read it to answer that question, and because the Mississippi Gulf Coast is our stomping ground.
It’s just different in general. The book is described as a legal thriller. (It is John Grisham, after all.) However, it is told in the third-person, so it feels like reading the script of an investigative TV show. There is no dialogue at all until chapter five, and then it’s just one exchange. By chapter seven there are a few more exchanges between characters, but only a few. Having said that, I enjoyed it. Like I said, I know the area. We have a friend whose father was the FBI agent-in-charge for cleaning up the Dixie Mafia, so the subject was interesting.
Many years ago my sister had a best friend named Trina. Trina had a sister named Gwyn. Their father was an author. In 1954, Mac Hyman published “No Time for Sergeants,” a best-selling novel that was adapted into a popular Broadway play and a 1958 film starring Andy Griffith. The comedy was a major hit, and is considered largely responsible for launching the careers of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. Griffith made his television debut in the 1955 television play of the book, which was broadcast as part of the United States Steel Hour on ABC, and went on to reprise the role on Broadway. The popular 1960’s TV series “Gomer Pyle, USMC” (a spin-off of Griffith’s “The Andy Griffith Show”) is thought to have been inspired by Griffith’s role in “Sergeants.” In other words, it was a big deal.
In 1996, Gwyn Hyman Rubio published her own book, “Icy Sparks.” Set in Appalachia, it’s the coming-of-age story of Icy Sparks. Orphaned and raised by loving grandparents in Kentucky’s coal country, Icy has to learn to deal with being different. In Icy’s own words, from her father she inherited the fear that resided in his coal-black eyes, and from that fear she gained wisdom. That fear placed books in her hands and led her to search for the answers. From her mama she grew to see the world through hope-filled eyes. Such a lovely book, which became a best-seller in 2001 when it was selected as part of Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club.
Happy Reading!
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