How impressive is this: my last post was about book 1 in the Stieg Larsson series and I've managed to read the second book as my next post! Ok, well sure, it's been a while since I've posted at all, but the point is, I love this series!! It's so good, although I have to take a break before reading the final book to focus on my studies. This semester has been killing me with four research projects along with numerous readings every day, ugh!
Anyway, back to the book. The second installment of the Lisbeth Salander series, The Girl Who Played With Fire, leaves off where the first book ended and promises a great ride and adventure that surrounds Lisbeth being accused of a double homicide. As she goes into hiding at the same time trying to get revenge on people who have made her life awful, many allies come to her defense in the investigation, including her old partner and awkward lover, Mikael Blomkvist. We learn more about minor characters from the first book including Lisbeth's on and off lesbian lover Miriam Wu, her guardian Holger Palmgren, and the mysterious Zala.
I enjoyed this book just as much as the first and would recommend it to anyone who likes reading about female empowerment. Once again, Larsson has delivered a great read. I haven't rented the second film in the Swedish movie series yet, but I plan on it sometime this week, so look for a movie review as well.
Yay! Another book review from yours truly. :)After much hype I finally decided to read the first of the late Stieg Larsson's trilogy, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Originally written in Swedish, the English version has been translated marvelously and I immediately fell in love with Larsson's style of writing after reading the first chapter.
His writing is very descriptive and intelligent, with just enough to keep you interested, if you find yourself straying. However I do know that some people might not agree with this. My mom, for instance, didn't like the book very much, whereas I loved it!
The plot follows two main characters that are separate, but later become linked. There's the book's main female protagonist, Lisbeth Salander, an edgy, independent, reserved yet extremely intelligent computer hacker/researcher. Second is Mikael Blomkvist, a middle aged newspaper journalist who has recently had some bad luck with a recent story of his that has landed him with some time in prison. He is hired by a member of the Vanger family to investigate an unsolved disappearance of a young girl that happened years ago. Blomkvist's research inevitably meets Salander's and the two create an awkward, protective relationship with each other.
In addition, there are many other characters that can at times be sort of confusing. For example, the entire Vanger family is very extensive and several times I had to refer back to the family tree depicted in the beginning of the novel. So some attention is definitely needed when it comes to the supporting characters, especially for us Americans who might not be familiar with some of the names. Don't get discouraged by the slow start that the book has (According to my mom, that is. I thought it was great) or the amount of people involved.
There are four parts of the book, and if you pay attention to the stats in each opening page, you'll find that their seriousness kind of corresponds with the content for that part (well, at least I thought so!). I finished it even while taking 6 classes in college and having to deal with the readings for those. I was so eager to finish the book that it motivated me to get all my studying/homework done so I could have time for it! :P I know, I'm such a nerd.
Anyway, now I've moved on to the sequel, The Girl Who Played With Fire, which so far, has proved to be just as fast paced and interesting as the first. I am highly anticipating the American version of the movie that will come out sometime this winter (around Christmas I think, right?). I haven't seen the Swedish movies yet, but I will rent the first one as soon as a find a copy. So look for that movie review to come! My aunt assures me the movies are awesome, but she hasn't read the books.
Here's the official U.S. trailer!!
Maybe I am just really interested in the stories because they revolve around crime. Being a criminal justice major allows me to simultaneously connect the material back to my studies, so that's what I find intriguing.
So how about it? Have you read the book(s) yet and if so, what did you think? Did you agree with me? I give this book 10 stars, honestly. It's one of my favorites.
My first book review on my blog! I just finished The Postcard Killers, a collaboration by James Patterson and Liza Marklund, a Swedish author. Now, this was my first time ever reading a book by James Patterson so I didn't really know what to expect. All I can say is, I'm willing to give him another chance, but this wasn't really my cup of tea.
I had seen the book in the front displays of countless stores and figured it might be worth reading. It definitely is an easy summer read since the chapters are all about 1 - 2 pages long and have very large print. I knew it was a thriller/murder mystery book, but I think the publishers might want to rethink the description on the back cover.
Possibly change it to something like, 'erotic, twisted, murder story.' Seriously, there were some components of this story that were just too weird and sadistic for me. Yeah there were a couple of short sex scenes, but they were nothing compared to other tidbits that you find out throughout the story. I don't want to give too much away, but I'll just say this: If you're pretty conservative or traditional, I wouldn't suggest reading this book.
The plot switches back and forth between three major people. The first group are the murderers who we find out more about, as the story progresses. Dessie Larsson, a Swedish reporter/journalist is the next major character who is sent a postcard from the mysterious killers. She teams up with an American NYPD detective Jacob Kanon, who is distraught and hell-bent on revenge for the murder of his daughter and her boyfriend. The two work together and make a somewhat dysfunctional pair as they try to track down the murderers, who seem intent on sending clues to various European newspapers.
The story itself is alright. It wasn't terribly boring, but it wasn't something that I really enjoyed reading either. More of a book to pass the time.
Not only did some of the themes bother me, but the writing seemed a little rushed and not as well thought out as it could have been. I kind of felt like I could have written the book! Anyway, although it was a disappointment, it also didn't take up that much time to read, so I'll just write it off as a dud for me personally.
Anyone else have any opinions? Are there better Patterson books out there that I should have read instead? Share your thoughts :)
