Homesick by Kate Klise

Homesick
by Kate Klise

192 pages

Benny's parents are splitting up. His mom leaves home after a fight about a mysterious splinter that is rumored to be part of an important relic. Benny's dad has always liked clutter, but now, he begins hoarding everything from pizza boxes to old motorcycle parts.

As his house grows more cluttered and his father grows more distant, Benny tries to sort out whether he can change anything at all. Meanwhile, a local teacher enters their quiet Missouri town in America's Most Charming Small Town contest, and the pressure is on to clean up the area, especially Benny's ramshackle of a house, before the out-of-town guests arrive.

Bleachers

 Bleachers
by John Grisham
Pages: 229
Rating: 4 out of 5

This is a story about a football in a small town, about how one man can affect a whole county for the better and for the worse and how in the end all that really matters isn't how you played the game, but who you are and can you forgive?

A quick read, with a deeper story than I expected from a "small town football tale." One of Grisham's strengths as a writer is challenging the reader to think about the issues in the lives of his characters and how these issues are something similar affects them. A worthwhile read even if you are not a sports fan or from a small town, though I think those from more rural areas will be able to relate more to the characters.