A variety of early-summer reading

I was in an airport: I bought two books.



 Tina Fey's autobiographical stories in Bossypants were very amusing. They made me chuckle quite a lot. It was "an easy read" and one that could be set down and dipped into later, without losing any plot. As an occasional viewer of 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live, though not a true fan, I enjoyed this inside view.
I paid full (U.S.) price.
I find the cover photo disturbing, not funny.


My second airport book was "a Grisham", specifically, The Litigators.
I really enjoy John Grisham's legal tales. Perhaps it comes from my background reading every Perry Mason novel and watching every episode of the TV series. Perhaps it's because there is often a mystery to be solved, and justice to be done. His writing is clear and descriptive and I usually learn something. Some people think they are formulaic, but I don't. Yes, the protagonist is usually a lawyer and yes, there are courtroom scenes, but otherwise, each book is different.
Some are better than others, and this is one of the good ones.

Back to the second-hand bookshelf

I stopped in at the St Vincent de Paul second-hand store and picked up 4 books for $1. That seems like a good price. I have now finished the first one, and while I won't demand my money back (all 25 cents), I am not really satisfied. It is a mystery by Ngaio Marsh, When in Rome. It was first published in 1970. I felt as if I were reading in a foreign language, with odd British words and dated slang. The Italian bits weren't much of a problem, but the English.... 

The plot seemed complex, but not at a Dan-Brown level, and the motivation of the characters a bit antiquated.  I thought I had read another of Marsh's detective Alleyn novels, but I don't remember the style being such a nuisance.

The cover illustration, by the way, has nothing to do with the plot.