The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Author: Stieg Larsson
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
5/5 Stars

This was the very last book I bought in the UK, and let me just say that I am so glad I did. I'd had the Millenium Trilogy on my TBR list for a long, long time, but never got around to picking it up until my studies were done and I really had some downtime. I was totally shocked by the story of its author, Stieg Larsson, who died shortly after delivering the manuscripts for "The Millenium Trilogy" to his editor. Sadly, he never got to see the worldwide success that his books acquired.

The first of his novels, I must say, started out rather slow. It took three weeks to get through the first 200 pages, with other books in between. However, once all the back story had been fleshed out, and the mystery really started going, I had finished the book in 2 days. Larsson is clearly a master of suspense and intrigue.

The book follows three main plotlines. First and most prevelent is that of Mikael Blomkvist, a financial journalist who has just been convicted of libel. He thought he was publishing a revealing new expose on one of Sweden's most influential CEOs, but his information was quite wrong. Though it looks like his career is going completely downhill after the trial, he is soon hired by Henrik Vanger, a retired entrepeneur. Vanger is convinced that his favorite niece, Harriet, was murdered almost fifty years ago and wants Blomkvist to continue the long-dead investigation into her disappearance. Lastly, there is the story of Lisbeth Salander, a mysterious, troubled young woman living in Stockholm. She works for a private investigator's company and her skills are unmatched. When Lisbeth joins Blomkvist on the case to find Harriet, they discover the shocking truth behind her disappearance.

Like I said, the plot didn't really thicken until about 200 pages in, but when it did, boy did things get good. Larsson clearly has a great gift for story-telling, and his knowledge of the financial stories that Blomkvist was investigating was really incredible. It felt like you were reading a true account, a story of fact, instead of a fiction. Where other crime books glaze over some of the more tricky plot areas, this novel convered all the bases and was truly inspired. I really can't wait to pick up the next one!

ISBN: 978-0307454546
Price: $14.95, paperback
Pages: 608

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead in the Family
Author: Charlaine Harris
Rating: ☆☆☆☆(☆)
4/5 Stars

I cannot even begin to express how long awaited the release of Dead in the Family was for me. Since I finished Dead and Gone, I have been counting down the days until the next Sookie Stackhouse book (not to mention Season 3 of True Blood, the television counterpart!).

This time around, I just couldn't give it full marks and it's for the same reasons as before. Harris seems to write these books in a pattern. She'll put out one, incredible, cliff-hanger of a novel that I have to give five stars, and next time, she'l put out a book that is great, but not quite as suspenseful. I feel like Dead in the Family was one of those not-quite-so suspenseful novels.

Sookie begins this book in what seems to be a healthy relationship with the vampire Eric. They are seeing each other regularly and really respecting each other. It seems like maybe Sookie's life as come back to normal. Even though it's taken many months for her to fully recover (emotionally and physically) from the bloodbath of the Faery War, she is finally happy. It's short-lived, however, because Eric receives surprising visitors: his maker and a new brother. They occupy all of Eric's time and become a huge liability to his thriving business in Shreveport.

It isn't surprising that the climax of the novel involves a final confrontation between Eric's controversial family and Sookie and her allies. I just found the ending somewhat predictable considering the story arch. I really enjoy these books so much more when there's a shocker at the end. If Harris follows the trend, however, it looks like the next one will have me on the edge of my seat once again!

ISBN: 978-0441018642
Price: $25.99, hardcover
Pages: 320

Twisted Wing by Ruth Newman

Title: Twisted Wing
Author: Ruth Newman
Rating: ☆☆☆☆(☆)
4/5 Stars

I picked up this British paperback while in the UK and had it on my shelf for almost two months. I guess I just got caught up in homework and travelling, and never got around to reading it until the weekend before finals (good idea? probably not). What appeared to be just another crime novel at Waterstone's turned out to be one of the fastest reads I've ever encountered. I read the book in 24 hours, which is not necessarily a huge feat for me, but that usually happens when I'm reading Harry Potter, Twilight or some other anxiously awaited title. This was completely unexpected!

Twisted Wing takes place, for the most part, at Ariel College at Cambridge University in England. Ariel college is small and it's students share a close bond, which is why when one of their own turns up brutaly murdered, no one seems to know who is behind the heinous crime. After a year of mourning with no leads turning up, another student is murdered, and finally, at their graduation ball, a third student is killed, but this time, there are students at the scene. The book starts off at the third and final murder and gradually fills in the back story of the "Cambridge Butcher" and the students who were his/her victims.

What begins as a crime drama turns into a psychological thriller, with the investigators, the students and the readers completely unable to discern who or what is behind the killings.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone, even people who weren't previously interested in crime books. I was really hooked by the story and the complexity of the characters. The novel's only pitfall is its slightly unsophisticated writing style, but for a debut novel from Newman, I was truly impressed. The book is only available in kindle version in the US, unless you buy used (womp womp).

ISBN: 978-1847392480
Price: £6.99, paperback
Pages: 384

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Title: The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
Rating: ☆☆☆☆(☆)
4/5 Stars

Oh man. It's been way, way too long since I blogged. I've gotten quite a few new books under my belt since March, and I feel so lazy to have waited until now to update. Here goes nothing! Expect a crazy outpouring of posts.

I read The Lovely Bones after having seen the recent movie adaptation, directed by Peter Jackson. This isn't (obviously) the best way to go about these two pieces of media; I would've preferred to read the book first. But, since the opportunity to see the movie sort of sprang up on me, I went ahead and watched it before reading Alice Sebold' bestseller. I have to take a quick sec to address the movie because, for me, it was one of the most incredible films I've ever watched. I started crying half an hour in and could not stop until the end. I think Peter Jackson did an incredible job of reinterpretting some ideas of the novel and making them translatable to the world of film. I also think he did a good job restraining the graphic elements of the book. I know he got a lot of flack for not overtly showing some of the more violent scenes from the novel, but I do believe that violence in books is incredibly different from violence in film. There seems to be a greater allowance for graphic scenes in a novel, and this just wasn't something I would've liked to see in a movie.

Now, on to the book! I was totally blown away by this book. It really captured my attention for hours at a time, and was certainly a page-turner. As cliched as all of that seems, I really felt like "The Lovely Bones" was one of those best-sellers that is also a work of literary mastery. The style was unlike anything I'd read before. I certainly wouldn't say it was inappropriate, although some people I know weren't feeling Sebold's style in terms of how she described Susie Salmon's rape and murder. I found the tone to be really appropriate considering the narrator is a teenage girl. Of course she doesn't necessarily have matured opinions about sexual abuse; she's still a kid. Susie's voice was what really kept me attached to this book.

I found I was strongly connected to the book because of the family dynamic. I come from a family of five. I am the oldest daughter, with a younger sister and an even younger brother. Susie's story was, at times, my own. Although this is obviously a very personal connection to one particularity of the story, I think what I'm getting at is the novel's appeal to anyone in a family. The vignettes for each of Susie's family members helps any reader to connect to at least one of the characters and become emotionally attached to the story.

ISBN: 978-0316044936
Price: $14.99, paperback
Pages: 368

BTT: Breaks

Do you take breaks while reading a book? Or read it straight through? (And, by breaks, I don’t mean sleeping, eating and going to work; I mean putting it aside for a time while you read something else.)

I used to be really awful about reading more than book at a time. I totally avoided starting a new book when I had another perfectly good one waiting for me. However, recently, I've found it's a little bit easier to do that. Now that I have to read 4 books at once for school, not to mention a free-reading book of my own, things can get kind of complicated. Despite that, I've been known to just pick up a new title and start whether I'm reading something else or not. I still finish the books I start, but if a book I've been waiting for suddenly makes it way into my hands, I can't say no! I have to start it right away.

The Thirteen Curses by Michelle Harrison

Title: The Thirteen Curses
Author: Michelle Harrison
Rating: ☆☆☆☆(☆)
4/5 Stars

Michelle Harrison's much anticipated follow-up was as great as I was expecting! It may have been a huge help that, as I was reading it, I was on a train rolling through the English countryside, but hey, who's complaining? Certainly not me. :)

The book picks up right where Harrison left off, with orphan Red trapped in the fairy realm in attempts to get back her kidnapped baby brother. Red's adventures take her right to the court of the fairies, where she is given a difficult task in exchange for the return of her brother. Meanwhile, Tanya and Fabian are in the human realm, back at Elvesden Manor. When Red, returns with the details of her quest, they help in the discovery of the 13 curses, each linked to a charm on Tanya's bracelet.

The plot itself was really fast-paced, and I really enjoyed that the twists and turns where sprinkled throughout the narrative. However, the ending felt really, really rushed. It wasn't until about page 300 that we even learn about the curses and Red's quest. And from there, the ending just wraps up far too quickly. It's as if Harrison sat down to write the story and wrote way too much introductory plot, realized she was 300 pages in, and threw the ending together in the last 150 pages. I really would've liked for the main story-line to kick in a little earlier.

However, I think this was a great second novel for Harrison, and I sincerely hope that she puts out some more books soon (and that they come to the States!).

ISBN: 978-1847384508
Price: £6.99, paperback
Pages: 464

Enchanted Glass cover art released!

Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones

Oh boy, I cannot wait for Diana Wynne Jones' new book to come out. I saw Enchanted Glass on amazon.com months ago and realized that, while working at Parenting, I could request a review copy for use in the magazine. SO, over winter break, I read Enchanted Glass and though not obsessed, I did really enjoy the book. Jones' writing style has always been a favorite of mine. I read my first DWJ book in the fourth grade and having been reading her books ever since. I really recommend you check out this title. Here's the link. And the lovely cover art for the hardback is above. Yay!