I'd seen The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson in bookstores for awhile now. I suppose it was highly profiled because there was a film made of it, and because the third book in the trilogy was being released. I was interested in it, but didn't really know much about it, so I never gave it a try.
A couple of weeks ago, I was lent a copy of it from a friend's mom.
OH MY GOD.
WHAT A GOOD BOOK!
I just finished reading it, right now, and am ITCHING to go buy the sequel. It's a story that takes place in Sweden, and features quite a large cast of characters that at first makes it just a touch confusing until you get to the point where the real plot starts to come into play. Others have said that they found the book dull at first and tough to get into, however I didn't think the same and enjoyed it right from the beginning.
The main characters are instantly likeable. Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who has been sued for libel and found guilty, is hired by a wealthy man (Henrik Vanger) to solve the mystery of his missing niece -- who disappeared forty years ago, in a case that went unsolved but that was suspected to be a murder. Blomkvist gets wrapped up in the case, which he doesn't expect to solve, and intrigue and suspense carries on from there.
There are twists and turns as you dive deeper into the history of the Vanger family, and into Blomkvist's quest to clear his name following the libel conviction. He teams up with Lisbeth Salander, a young woman with a troubled past and expert investigative skills, who is a character that I think we'll learn even more about in the sequels to this book.
If you haven't read it yet, and you like some mystery and suspense, I highly recommend The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
I'm not sure how the movie is, but I might watch it just to compare it to the book.
----
Edited: Okay, upon some research, I think I understand the movie thing a little more. Looks like there were Swedish movies made about all three books in this series; but in 2011, a Hollywood version is coming out. I really didn't know much about this series before being loaned this book two weeks ago, haha... but I knew some movie was already on TMN. Must be the Swedish version! I'll give it a try.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Way Overdue Reading Update
I've neglected my reading blog for far too long... partially because, I've been neglecting reading. In September, I had a huge change in my personal life (which, if you read my main blog, you already have heard way too much about, I'm sure), and it really threw me off. The only thing I read after that was a quick re-read of the first Twilight book (I needed something absolutely mindless, and in a way, comforting in its familiarity and easy-readability), and then I took a bit of a break from reading novels. I was also very busy with teaching my new grade one class, and with taking an online course, which has just ended.
I have read 10 books since my last blog post in July though... yes, I made it to 39 books this year. I'm just finishing up book 40. I don't think I would have been able to make it to 100, regardless of what happened in September, but I probably would have made it past 50 had I been my usual self, which would have been pretty cool.
As it is, I scrapped my ENTIRE "101 things to do in 1001 Days" because way too much of it involved the relationship-that-is-no-more, so I scrapped the "read 100 books" goal too. Next year I'll maybe try a new reading goal, 100 books was TOO MUCH. haha.
Anyway, here's what I've read since July, just in list-form, with no reviews:
30) An Ideal Wife by Gemma Townley
31) Second Prize by Chris Manby
32) Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
33) How Nancy Drew Saved My Life by Lauren Barantz-Logsted
34) Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
35) It's About Your Husband by Lauren Lipton
36) Welcome to the Real World by Carole Matthews
37) English as a Second Language by Megan Crane
38) Mini-Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
39) read-read of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
I'm going to document how many books I've read up until New Years Eve... but honestly, what I went through in September really changed things for me. However, no more neglecting this blog, that's for sure!
I have read 10 books since my last blog post in July though... yes, I made it to 39 books this year. I'm just finishing up book 40. I don't think I would have been able to make it to 100, regardless of what happened in September, but I probably would have made it past 50 had I been my usual self, which would have been pretty cool.
As it is, I scrapped my ENTIRE "101 things to do in 1001 Days" because way too much of it involved the relationship-that-is-no-more, so I scrapped the "read 100 books" goal too. Next year I'll maybe try a new reading goal, 100 books was TOO MUCH. haha.
Anyway, here's what I've read since July, just in list-form, with no reviews:
30) An Ideal Wife by Gemma Townley
31) Second Prize by Chris Manby
32) Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
33) How Nancy Drew Saved My Life by Lauren Barantz-Logsted
34) Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
35) It's About Your Husband by Lauren Lipton
36) Welcome to the Real World by Carole Matthews
37) English as a Second Language by Megan Crane
38) Mini-Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
39) read-read of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
I'm going to document how many books I've read up until New Years Eve... but honestly, what I went through in September really changed things for me. However, no more neglecting this blog, that's for sure!
Monday, July 12, 2010
26, 27, 28, 29) Four Completely Different Books -- just read this.
Haven't been updating lately, but have done a little reading. Not nearly enough for the challenge I've set for myself, but considering I read about 7 books over the March Break this year I'm hoping I can catch up over these two summer months off from work (well, off from teaching -- I have a nannying job, but I'll still have plenty of time for reading in between my nannying hours). Anyway, here are some of the books I read but didn't blog about!
26) Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
This is the fourth book in Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians YA series. I love this series, A LOT, and really enjoyed reading this installment. Percy and his friends find themselves on a new quest -- into the Labyrinth, to stop Luke from raising Kronos and taking over Camp Halfblood, and eventually Olympus. It's got lots of adventure and fun, and it really sets things up for the conclusion of the series (or, what I'm fairly certain is the conclusion -- book five, The Last Olympian, which Scooter and I haven't bought to read yet). If you haven't given these books a try, but you like books such as Harry Potter, I'd definitely read them.
27) Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse #9) by Charlaine Harris
I am so cheap and refuse to buy these books hardcover, so I only just now finally read the ninth Sookie Stackhouse novel; number ten is already on bookshelves but it's still hardcover itself so I'll be waiting until next spring for that one too. Book 9 was another great Sookie story, and I'm in love with these characters. I also watch the television series, "True Blood" (which is probably what helps me be able to wait to read the new books in soft-cover, it sort of bridges the gap by having a TV Sookie in my life).
28) Angels by Marian Keyes
I am a huge fan of Keyes' Walsh family. I've read these books completely out of order, but have read three of the four books that each feature a different Walsh sister (I read Rachel's Holiday first, then read Is Anybody Out There? which is Anna's story, and then read Angels, which about Maggie Walsh and comes before either of the other two I read -- the only one I haven't read yet is Watermelon, which is Claire's story and is actually the FIRST of the Walsh sister's books). The good thing is? It doesn't really matter TOO much if you read them out of order, as I've found. I'm eagerly waiting for Helen, the youngest of the Walsh sisters, to have a book featured about her soon too (since I'm sure it's inevitable). My favourite of these books is Anna's story (Is Anybody Out There?), but any of them so far have been great.
29) Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA by Ellen Meister
I picked this up off of the 80%-off shelf at Chapters (a frequent place for my book-buying, since $4.99 is a sweet price for a novel). It was actually not bad, a good beside-the-pool read. The characters are all going through some relationship issues, and there are some affairs/potential affairs/weird moments, but it wasn't a bad story and it had nice pacing. The characters were likeable enough -- if a little sex-obsessed at times.
Alrighty, 29 down and ... oh.. hmm.. you know, only 71 books left to read this year. HA. HA HA HA. /crying on the inside.
26) Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
This is the fourth book in Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians YA series. I love this series, A LOT, and really enjoyed reading this installment. Percy and his friends find themselves on a new quest -- into the Labyrinth, to stop Luke from raising Kronos and taking over Camp Halfblood, and eventually Olympus. It's got lots of adventure and fun, and it really sets things up for the conclusion of the series (or, what I'm fairly certain is the conclusion -- book five, The Last Olympian, which Scooter and I haven't bought to read yet). If you haven't given these books a try, but you like books such as Harry Potter, I'd definitely read them.
27) Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse #9) by Charlaine Harris
I am so cheap and refuse to buy these books hardcover, so I only just now finally read the ninth Sookie Stackhouse novel; number ten is already on bookshelves but it's still hardcover itself so I'll be waiting until next spring for that one too. Book 9 was another great Sookie story, and I'm in love with these characters. I also watch the television series, "True Blood" (which is probably what helps me be able to wait to read the new books in soft-cover, it sort of bridges the gap by having a TV Sookie in my life).
28) Angels by Marian Keyes
I am a huge fan of Keyes' Walsh family. I've read these books completely out of order, but have read three of the four books that each feature a different Walsh sister (I read Rachel's Holiday first, then read Is Anybody Out There? which is Anna's story, and then read Angels, which about Maggie Walsh and comes before either of the other two I read -- the only one I haven't read yet is Watermelon, which is Claire's story and is actually the FIRST of the Walsh sister's books). The good thing is? It doesn't really matter TOO much if you read them out of order, as I've found. I'm eagerly waiting for Helen, the youngest of the Walsh sisters, to have a book featured about her soon too (since I'm sure it's inevitable). My favourite of these books is Anna's story (Is Anybody Out There?), but any of them so far have been great.
29) Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA by Ellen Meister
I picked this up off of the 80%-off shelf at Chapters (a frequent place for my book-buying, since $4.99 is a sweet price for a novel). It was actually not bad, a good beside-the-pool read. The characters are all going through some relationship issues, and there are some affairs/potential affairs/weird moments, but it wasn't a bad story and it had nice pacing. The characters were likeable enough -- if a little sex-obsessed at times.
Alrighty, 29 down and ... oh.. hmm.. you know, only 71 books left to read this year. HA. HA HA HA. /crying on the inside.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
25) A Hollywood Ending by Robyn Sisman
I've picked up a bunch of chick-lit books on sale at Chapters recently, in an effort to read some light stuff by my pool and speed up my "number of books read" as much as I can... haha. The first one I tried was called A Hollywood Ending, by author Robyn Sisman.
This story is about Paige Carson, famous movie star, who is dissatisfied with how things are going in Hollywood and with how she's beginning to be viewed as a bratty star. She takes off to London to perform Shakespeare on stage in order to combat her reputation and remember the reason she became an actress in the first place.
Oh, but before you get to that you have page after page of not-so-great-but-also-not-that-exciting things happen to Paige back in Los Angeles.
When the book switches to England, we somethings get the story from the perspective of Ed, Paige's landlord who is trying very hard to be unimpressed with "The Paige Carson" living upstairs -- he thinks she's a snobby Hollywood type, so he sets out to have nothing to do with her.
Things happen, there's a romance, there's a 'misunderstanding that nearly wrecks the whole romance', then next thing you know the book is done.
This wasn't the worst random chick-lit I've ever read. I liked the characters well enough. I did find the ending to be a little short with some stuff left up in the air (such as how her performance in As You Like It actually goes, and whether or not she is well-received again back in L.A.). I felt like the beginning of the book before Paige gets to England dragged on a bit, and my favourite parts of the book were when Ed and Paige were getting to know each other a little and realizing they were wrongly judging one another's behaviours -- but that was only a few scenes, I could have had a little more of that to keep up the romance side of the story.
It wasn't bad, it wasn't fabulous, but it certainly was just the right type of light, lounge-by-the-pool reading that I was searching for.
25 down, 75 to go!
This story is about Paige Carson, famous movie star, who is dissatisfied with how things are going in Hollywood and with how she's beginning to be viewed as a bratty star. She takes off to London to perform Shakespeare on stage in order to combat her reputation and remember the reason she became an actress in the first place.
Oh, but before you get to that you have page after page of not-so-great-but-also-not-that-exciting things happen to Paige back in Los Angeles.
When the book switches to England, we somethings get the story from the perspective of Ed, Paige's landlord who is trying very hard to be unimpressed with "The Paige Carson" living upstairs -- he thinks she's a snobby Hollywood type, so he sets out to have nothing to do with her.
Things happen, there's a romance, there's a 'misunderstanding that nearly wrecks the whole romance', then next thing you know the book is done.
This wasn't the worst random chick-lit I've ever read. I liked the characters well enough. I did find the ending to be a little short with some stuff left up in the air (such as how her performance in As You Like It actually goes, and whether or not she is well-received again back in L.A.). I felt like the beginning of the book before Paige gets to England dragged on a bit, and my favourite parts of the book were when Ed and Paige were getting to know each other a little and realizing they were wrongly judging one another's behaviours -- but that was only a few scenes, I could have had a little more of that to keep up the romance side of the story.
It wasn't bad, it wasn't fabulous, but it certainly was just the right type of light, lounge-by-the-pool reading that I was searching for.
25 down, 75 to go!
Monday, May 24, 2010
21-24) The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith
I have been really enjoying the new TV series "The Vampire Diaries". I knew that the show was based on Young Adult novels of the same name written by LJ Smith, but I hadn't read the books yet. I decided to give them a try, and borrowed the first two novels (which were combined into one volume) from Martin's sister. The first two stories are The Awakening and The Struggle, the second two are The Fury and Dark Reunion.
These books are dramatically different that the TV series. The TV series is also a hundred times better. There are extra characters in the books who aren't on the show, and there are characters on the show who aren't in the books. The first couple of books are sort of boring, and I didn't really understand the motivation behind some of the actions of the characters -- it was too forced with no explanations. The second two stories, once the characters were more established and there was some action, were much better.
At the bookstore the other day I noticed there are more books in this series, which I think were written a little later than these original four stories, and I do feel like I would like to read them too. However, I'm really glad the TV series is what it is -- the characters are much better explained, I love the backstory they provide, and the characters they've added who are not a part of the books are really layered and interesting.
These books are pretty similar to the Twilight books, which were written many years later than these ones, but the Twilight books are actually a much better read.
At least I knocked four books out of the park in a fairly short time span!
24 read, 76 to go! I know I'm way behind where I should be, but have faith...
These books are dramatically different that the TV series. The TV series is also a hundred times better. There are extra characters in the books who aren't on the show, and there are characters on the show who aren't in the books. The first couple of books are sort of boring, and I didn't really understand the motivation behind some of the actions of the characters -- it was too forced with no explanations. The second two stories, once the characters were more established and there was some action, were much better.
At the bookstore the other day I noticed there are more books in this series, which I think were written a little later than these original four stories, and I do feel like I would like to read them too. However, I'm really glad the TV series is what it is -- the characters are much better explained, I love the backstory they provide, and the characters they've added who are not a part of the books are really layered and interesting.
These books are pretty similar to the Twilight books, which were written many years later than these ones, but the Twilight books are actually a much better read.
At least I knocked four books out of the park in a fairly short time span!
24 read, 76 to go! I know I'm way behind where I should be, but have faith...
20) Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
I teach the first grade and I wanted to read them a novel, as time-filler and to get them used to the idea of not always having pictures to look at in the books they read. I chose the classic story Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. I'm counting this as one of my 100 novels read this year, since I did read it in its entirety and if I didn't count things like this I'd surely never get through this challenge! haha.
It's the classic story of Wilbur the pig, who is rescued by Fern and then raised in Zuckerman's barn. He befriends a spider named Charlotte, who uses her miraculous web-spinning powers to write words in her web to encourage Mr. Zuckerman to view Wilbur as "some pig!" in order to save Wilbur from being turned into bacon. The kids loved the story, and after we finished we watched the 2006 live-action film version of the book starring Dakota Fanning. It was also well-received.
A very classic children's tale, and book 20 in my quest to read 100 books in 2010.
It's the classic story of Wilbur the pig, who is rescued by Fern and then raised in Zuckerman's barn. He befriends a spider named Charlotte, who uses her miraculous web-spinning powers to write words in her web to encourage Mr. Zuckerman to view Wilbur as "some pig!" in order to save Wilbur from being turned into bacon. The kids loved the story, and after we finished we watched the 2006 live-action film version of the book starring Dakota Fanning. It was also well-received.
A very classic children's tale, and book 20 in my quest to read 100 books in 2010.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
19) Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
A few weeks ago I finally finished catching up on all of the Stephanie Plum novels released so far by Janet Evanovich! Plum Spooky, one of those "between-the-numbers" novels was the last one I had to read. I enjoyed it much better than all of the other between-the-numbers books, but my favourite stories in this series are mostly just the regular numbered Stephanie Plum mysteries. Book 16 comes out this year, so I'll take it out from the library as soon as I can. I plan on staying caught up with each new release, and I'm certainly very glad Janet is continuing to write more stories in this series. I love these characters A LOT.
I'm still reading, just slowly! Ugh!
19 down, 81 to go!
I'm still reading, just slowly! Ugh!
19 down, 81 to go!
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