"Jim the Boy" - Tony Early

Published in 2000 by Bay Back Books

I ran out of books and my mom left this at our apartment on her last visit. So I read it in a day, which was a good plan because it wasn't really entrancing enough to last longer than that.

The story of a little boy turning ten and learning some hard life lessons about friends, family, absence and regret.

Early writes about living in a small town and learning that the world is a big scary place.

Rating: **

"Granta 119: Britain"

Published in 2012 by Granta

Granta is a win-some-lose-some books by mail subscription. Four times a year I receive a compilation of Hirt stories that all focus in some way on a specific topic.

This quarters topic was Britain; the stories, poems, and photos ranged in style and composition but were all somehow clearly linked by the overarching theme.

This was a win-some.

Quotes:
"She paid twenty quid for a private dance with a girl named Clover, who had pigtails and purple nails and a tattoo of a unicorn just above her groin.
'Its my power animal,' she said.
'I'm pregnant,' said Katherine."

"Living in a racist society has a profound psychological impact. It produces in it's victims a sort of hyper-vigilance, as the individual attempts to read those around them and so anticipate the hostility that might assail them."

"Tishomingo Blues" - Elmore Leonard

Published in 2002

This book was not the best introduction to Leonard. Although he started the action early and kept It going through the story, the slow paced dialogue and doltish main characters failed to hold my interest.

Drugs, Murder, High Divers, Civil War battles: this novel seemed like a clear winner. But it just left me feeling like a re-enactor who had to die slowly without the perk of getting drunk in the sun.

Rating: **