Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt & You Poor Monster by Michael Kun

It's been such a long time! Well, needless to say, in my month and a half respite, I have read many books, several of which I have no desire to mention or talk about. There's just not much to say about some of them.
I did read Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt while I was on jury duty and a trial for 3 days. It wasn't exactly a release from all the violence I heard about during the trial, but it was an incredibly rich memoir. It was a troubling tale that left me a little confused at the conclusion. What exactly did McCourt want me to understand from his story? Certainly there is quite a bit of forgiveness stuffed into each pint that his father drank, but I don't know if I as the reader was ready to forgive and move on by the end of the book. Regardless, I loved the simple elegance of his similes, especially where stories and books were concerned: "I don't know what it means and I don't ca re because it's Shakespeare and it's like having jewels in my mouth when I say the words."
After my jury duty was all closed up, I returned back to normal life and a new book, oddly enough about a lawyer and his eccentric client. The book is called You Poor Monster by Michael Kun and, just like with McCourt's book, I truly enjoyed it. The story rises and falls, and the reader is a few slopes behind the author every time. For example, the novel has endnotes, which you are instructed to read or not read, at your leisure. Well, folks, I should have read them. I know that now. But it's too late for me -- save yourself! As you read this novel, read the endnotes as they come! It will seem inane at first, but the payoff will come. Oh yes -- it will come.
Now I've moved on to a book called Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen. This book was actually given to me by one of my fellow jurors. I thought that was extremely generous of him, since he would never see me (or his book) again. I was instructed by my fellow juror to donate it to the library when I had finished. Seeing as you are all my loyal readers, if you'd like to read it after I've commented, you may request it! Perhaps I can donate it to the "Literary Time Out" Library of collected books. Or perhaps I can donate it to you! Stay tuned...