Over the past month, I have abandoned one book, read another that I was not crazy about and now am (finally) currently reading one that I love and read late into the night until I can't keep my eyes open anymore. It is called The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson. It is the second in a trilogy. I read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo last year when it came out in paperback and liked it so much that I couldn't wait until this second one was also out in paperback. Over the Christmas shopping season, Amazon reduced the hardback price so much that I went ahead and bought it, and I am so glad I did. I haven't finished it yet but when I do, I will try to write an actual review.
The third, and sadly last of the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest comes out May 25, and I can safely predict that I will not be waiting for the paperback. The author died just around the time the three novels were submitted to his publisher. I understand that detailed outlines for 11 total books in this series were found among his effects, but there is some sort of dispute over his estate. I am hopeful that it can be resolved and that a ghostwriter is hired to finish the series. I want to read further exploits of Lisbeth Salander, one the most fascinating characters I have come across during the last few years.
The one book I have finished lately is called Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. It had received a myriad of very good reviews and was one of Amazon's top books of 2010, so I was excited to read it. It turned out that I really didn't like it that much. Beautiful Creatures is in that fantasy genre a la Harry Potter or Twilight, with its own myths/creatures/magical rules. I know a lot of people thought it was wonderful, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Spoiler alert: two of the characters turn out to be incubi (plural of incubus...I had to look it up) and that made me pretty squeamish, especially since one of them is a "good guy" and self-sacrificing. As a Christian, I have to say "no way." And as for the writing style, I thought the book was too long. The story seemed to drag, at least for me. Also, too much teenage angst. Ugh.
Barbara Nadel writes books about a Turkish dective in Istanbul. It is a interesting series that gives a portrait of another country and culture. They should be read in sequence.
ReplyDeleteAnother good read is a series by Barbara George concering a Scotland Yard detective.