Book Reviews

Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman

I think that I have read every book that Klosterman has written. The focus of his past books has generally been rock music, and they have been both funny and interesting. His latest book really shows how he is evolving as a writer. The book is a collection of essays, but the focus of many of the essays is not on music. Further, the book has a more focused, less breezy style. With most book, I can skip 10% of the sentences because I know what they will say. This book, however, I had to re-read 10% of the sentences to make sure I fully understood them. Very good book, but it is a different style than his past books. Grade: B+

Ford County by John Grisham

This is Grisham's first book of short stories, and all the stories are set in Ford County Mississippi and include a white, southern lawyer (because, well, Grisham always writes about white southern lawyers). This book is impossible to grade because some of the essays are dull and boring (grade-level: D), but other essays are interesting and thought-provoking (grade-level: B+). I cannot recommend that you go out, buy this book, and read it. However, if you have an hour free, stop by your local library and read the last two short stories (they were my favorites).