Whitcoulls recommends John Grisham and Mohamed Hassan

Sparring Partners by John Grisham. It is, in fact, three novellas in one book, each of which is an intriguing read. One concerns Jake Brigance – a character familiar to Grisham readers, who’s a lawyer in a town with too many of them, struggling to make a buck. Then there’s a guy on death row whose time is running out; and a family law firm torn apart by murder, ego and plain bad behaviour. As always, Grisham delivers a truly entertaining read – these stories are up there with his best work.   How to be a Bad Muslim by Mohamed Hassan. He’s a Muslim Kiwi, originally from Egypt. Known here through his journalism and performance poetry. This is a really thoughtful collection of essays on what it means to be Muslim in the modern world, and in New Zealand, covering identity, Islamophobia, surveillance, migration and language. Deeply moving in parts and bringing a really personal perspective.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.