I don't watch football. I don't read Grisham novels nor do I watch the movies made of them. So, reading this book would seem out of character for me. I picked it up with trepidation.

Curiously, I very much enjoyed the story of Rick "Reek" Dockery. It was far funnier than I would have thought. The characters seem stereotypical, but really they aren't. Not if you've been to Parma or watched even one of the football games.

I was half expecting a crime boiler of some sort halfway through, but thankfully, it didn't happen. If you're looking for a standard Grisham novel, this isn't the one. If you want to read him in a different direction, then it's worth it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this whimsical little novel. I enjoy Grisham's departure from the court scene.......like "A Painted House"
I am not a football fan, but the play is incidental to the ambiance Grisham creates about the Italian way of life. It is a travel log in many respects as it whets my appetite to return to Italy for more travel!

I'm a John Grisham fan, although this one honestly didn't keep me in want for more. I couldn't wait to finish it and I skimmed over most of the book, only reading essential dialogue. I felt as if I was reading someones diary or journal. Not that great. Although, I am looking forward to reading The Appeal very soon. Maybe that one will be more inspiring.

The fact that I finished this awful book is amazing in itself. I had this feeling Mr. Grisham was only fulfilling a contract obligation when he wrote this book. Since I bought your book, you can buy me a pizza! This was money well wasted.

Fun read start to finish... you get a likeable feel for every character in the book. Finshed it in 2 days. It is a quick read just that once you put it down you want to know how the characters are doing, so you keep on reading.

Only think I didnt like in the book and it is really a minor minor thing is the lengthy descriptions of the site seeing parts from town to town... wanted to skip those parts.

I just finished reading "Playing For Pizza" by John Grisham. It was well-written and very enjoyable, even for the non-football fan. It was much better that his previous football story "The Bleachers".

As a fan of Grisham's usual style of novels as well as a football fan, I was hopeful this book would satisfy. It didn't get too technical with football jargon, but had just enough to be exciting when describing the games. I read this over the course of a weekend, and found it to be an easy, enjoyable read.

In order to pursue his pro career, third-string quaterback Rick Dockery (recently fired by the Cleveland Browns) chooses to play with the Parma Panthers of the Italian Football League. In fact he has very little other choice as he is more or less ban from pro football in North America. Italy will be an eye-opener for him.

This is a feel-good novel - something of a departure for Grisham. A sort of romantic comedy about american football Italy. An odd mix to say the least, and, surprisingly, one that works. It is light- and warmhearted, laced with sun, good food, and great sceneries. There is a romantic naiveté in almost each Grisham's main characters, and Dockery doesn't break that simple rule. As I said, this is an odd mix and it does make for an odd book, in the sense that I am not sure if readers of romance will love the football part of it and if football fans will love the romance part.

I liked it tremendously (loving both football and Grisham). The story is fairly predictable and contains no real surprises whatsoever. There is a love interest, a bunch of warm and sympathetic characters, and one villain who will almost be won over by the end. Recommended light reading.

While not quite up to the standards of John Grisham's legal novels, "Playing for Pizza" is a nice change. It was one I had been putting off reading after I purchased it, but when I started to read, I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend reading it if you want something fast. And, it doesn't hurt that the Saskatchewan Roughriders are mentioned in the book.