Now I Can Die in Peace by Bill Simmons

With Simmons, I knew what I was getting myself into. I've been reading his Sports Guy columns on ESPN.com for years now, and I listen to his new podcasts religiously. His writing comes more from the perspective of a knowledgeable fan and not from that of a beat reporter. And nobody ties pop culture into sports writing like Simmons. The catch for me was the subject matter. I don't particularly care for baseball. I really only watch a few games a year (but I must admit that I always know what's going on). Anyway, it turns out that I truly enjoyed this book. You can't help but be drawn in to the world of the Red Sox fan and you feel what he felt. Excellent writing, good book, and I can't wait for his next offering! I might even watch a little more baseball now!

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

Honestly, I didn't like Choke as much as Diary. The writing is still brilliant, but I didn't enjoy the plot as much as in Fight Club or Diary. There is no question this is the same author as those books, but I just found the plot a little lacking - it just didn't grip me like the others. Still, I think Palahniuk is an outstanding writer - I'm not blacklisting him by any means. I just didn't enjoy this one as much.

Diary by Chuck Palahniuk

So, having recently read Fight Club, I decided to take a shot at another Palahniuk book. (I'm not sure if that rhymed or not, but it would be cool if it did) Diary did not disappoint. A great tale kept me wanting more until the surprising conclusion, not unlike Fight Club. If you liked Fight Club and you don't mind the dark style of the book/movie, you'll love this book. Palahniuk turns a phrase better than anyone I've read in a long time.

The Runaway Jury by John Grisham

There's not much I can say about this book except that it's a typical Grisham offering. That's a complement in that I read the book cover to cover and stayed interested the whole way, but I didn't see anything that made this book stand out from his others. In fact, I have to say that it wasn't as exciting as some of the others I remember reading (The Firm and The Rainmaker for example) but it was interesting to see the workings of a trial from the perspective that only Grisham can give you. I'd recommend his other stuff before this book, though.