Grisham and Baldacci's Latest

Some standard and much appreciated Christmas gifts from my wife are the most recent releases by John Grisham and David Baldacci. Once they're in my hands it doesn't take long for me to finish them. I say this not to brag, but to admit a weakness: I can't put these kind of books down! These gifts, truly, interrupt family and work time.

I particularly enjoyed The Litigators, as Grisham is such a great storyteller, easily drawing in readers to the scenes he vividly portrays. It's been a while since I read Grisham, but this book seems to have some of his most interesting and well-developed characters. Even more satisfying, however, was the great storyline, full of twists, irony, and fun.

David Baldacci's book, Zero Day, kept me just as consumed, but was of a completely different genre. While Grisham's story had tension, Baldacci's knows how to ratchet up the suspense like no other, giving the reader one intense ride! In Zero Day, Baldacci introduces a new hero--an army veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Needless to say, he's an incredible guy.

When I finished Zero Day, I was pleased with the ending and relieved that I could finally exhale; but when I finished The Litigators, I had a sense that I had been enriched by an artfully told story that shed some light on both the good and the bad of the legal profession.