bookworm44
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Posts posted by bookworm44
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Finished The Girl Who Played with Fire this morning at 2am and immediately started The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest when I awoke. Such a great series!
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The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
Synopsis:
Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government. But he has no idea just how explosive the story will be until, on the eve of publication, the two investigating reporters are murdered. And even more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander - the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker who came to his aid in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and who now becomes the focus and fierce heart of The Girl Who Played with Fire." As Blomkvist, alone in his belief in Salander's innocence, plunges into an investigation of the slayings, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all.
Courtesy of b&n.com
Rating: 5/5
Thoughts:
Wow! This book was fast moving and exciting. The last two hundred pages were insanely good! I was up till 2am this morning because I had to know how it was all going to end. If you enjoyed the first book, you'll love this. Hoping The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest is as good as this one.
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Usually around this time of year I lose my reading mojo and it doesn't return till about February! I'm happy that this year that doesn't seem to be happening. My guy and I have been doing a lot of reading together lately, and I think that's really helped me. Keeping my fingers crossed my mojo lasts!
More reading in the park.
His and hers.
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Glad you liked it. The second one has much more of Salander in it and the third one takes it somewhere totally different again; they are all great.
Loved that Lisbeth was the focus of the second book. She is such a great character! Can't wait to read the third book!
Anne Frank's diary is an amazing book. I agree everyone should read it. I remember reading it when I was going through some stuff and it really put things into perspective. I'd like to reread it some day and would definitely love to visit the museum.
Andrea, I hope one day you get the chance.
Great pics, Erin! The photos of your reading room look like they could be in a magazine.
The Paris Wife sounds really interesting. Is it completely non-fiction or is it a fictional account of real events?
Thank you, Kylie! The Paris Wife is fiction based on actual events. I highly recommend checking it out!
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Welcome, Ovidiu! Enjoy!
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Welcome, Alexander! Enjoy!
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Welcome to the forum, Wes! Enjoy!
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Welcome to the forum, Amanda! Enjoy!
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Hi Erin I like all your pictures of your reading locations. Be interested to hear your thoughts about Dragon Tattoo.
Thanks, vodkafan! I just added my thoughts.
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What a lovely room, the chair looks so inviting! I would so love my own reading space, maybe when the kids move out... How old to they have to be to leave home??
hahaha! Thanks, chalipud! I hope one day you'll have a reading space of your own.
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The Girl with the Dargon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Synopsis:
Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and finacial intrigue into a complex and atmospheric novel.
Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently tapped by a libel convitction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of iniquity and corruption.
Rating: 5/5
Thoughts:
Loved, loved, loved everything about this book. Okay, well, I didn't exactly love reading the first 100 pages, but by the time I got past chapter five I was hooked and never wanted to put it down! I'd recommend this book to those looking to read a good mystery with great characters. Can't wait to read the next two books in the series!
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The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Synopsis:
A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.
Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.
A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.
Courtesy of b&n.com
Rating: 4/5
Thoughts:
I very much enjoyed this book! It was well written and I loved experiencing life in Paris during the 20's. I didn't know much about Hemingway and his first wife Hadley before, and now I can't seem to get enough of them. The minute I finished The Paris Wife I got on the internet to find out more about their lives. I've now added The Sun Also Rises, A Moveable Feast, and Gioia Diliberto's Paris Without End: The True Story of Hemingway's First Wife to my tbr pile.
Edit: I guess I should pay more attention to by tbr pile since The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast were both already in the pile.
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More of August...
Reading in the park.
Another beautiful morning in the park.
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August...
Rainy morning in bed.
Sunday morning tea.
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True Believer by Nicholas Sparks
Synopsis:
As a science journalist with a regular column in Scientific American, Jeremy Marsh specializes in debunking the supernatural and has a real nose for the strange and unusual. A born skeptic, he travels to the small town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, determined to find the real cause behind the ghostly apparitions that appear in the town cemetery. What he doesn't plan on, however, is meeting and falling hopelessly in love with Lexie Darnell, granddaughter of the town psychic. Now, if the young lovers are to have any kind of future at all, Jeremy must make a difficult choice: return to the life he knows, or do something he could never do before-take a giant leap of faith.
A story about taking chances and following your heart, TRUE BELIEVER will make you, too, believe in the miracle of love.
Courtesy of b&n.com
Rating: 4/5
Thoughts:
Not the best from Sparks, but way better than Nights in Rodanthe. Light and sweet, and overall enjoyable.
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Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
Synopsis:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks comes a tender story of hope and joy, of sacrifice and forgiveness-a moving reminder that love is possible at any age, at any time, and often comes when we least expect it. At forty-five, Adrienne Willis must rethink her entire life when her husband abandons her for a younger woman. Reeling with heartache and in search of a respite, she flees to the small coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina, to tend to a friend's inn for the weekend. But when a major storm starts moving in, it appears that Adrienne's perfect getaway will be ruined-until a guest named Paul Flanner arrives. At fifty-four, Paul has just sold his medical practice and come to Rodanthe to escape his own shattered past. Now, with the storm closing in, two wounded people will turn to each other for comfort-and in one weekend set in motion feelings that will resonate throughout the rest of their lives.
Courtesy of b&n.com
Rating: 2/5
Thoughts:
Complete knockoff of The Bridges of Madison County. I'm surprised at you, Mr. Sparks!
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July...
An evening with Mr. Sparks.
I love the days I take the two kids I watch ice skating! They skate while I read and watch them from the stands.
Laundry day.
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June...
A trip to my favorite Barnes & Noble was definitely in order after re-doing my reading room. You know, any excuse to do a little book shopping!
I got:
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
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May...
I got no reading done in May since most of my free time was spent finishing or remodeling some of the rooms in my apartment. One room I couldn't wait to do-over was my reading room. I'm so happy with the way it came out!
Seeing all my books on my bedroom floor after emptying my reading room made me realize I may have a serious addiciton to books.
Before & after.
I love my new reading spot!
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I read I am the Messenger earlier this year and thought it was an excellent read, totally different to The Book Thief in that it is a much more adult read, both in its content and its language... The lead character Ed is great and you will be fighting his corner with him for the entire book, and as for his dog, The Doorman, well, you'll just have to readit to find out!
chaliepud, your thoughts on I Am the Messenger has definietly piqued my interest. I'll definietly be adding it to my tbr pile. Thanks!
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I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo this morning and now I can't wait to start The Girl Who Played with Fire.
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Annie Hall.
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I finished The Paris Wife by Paula McLain and started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
Finished a few books recently:
11.22.63 (Audio) - Stephen King 10/10
Stephen King wrote a book about the day Kennedy was assassinated? I have to go look this up...
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Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Synopsis:
The Diary of a Young Girl is the record of two years in the life of a remarkable Jewish girl whose triumphant humanity in the face of unfathomable deprivation and fear has made the book one of the most enduring documents of our time.
The journal of a Jewish girl in her early teens describes both the joys and torments of daily life, as well as typical adolescent thoughts, throughout two years spent in hiding with her family during the Nazi occupation of Holland.
Courtesy of b&n.com
Rating: 5/5
Thoughts:
I first read Anne's diary when I was 13 years old and it has always meant so much to me. Her words taught me to appreciate so much, especially the little things in life.
I decided to re-read Anne's diary this year since I knew I'd be visiting the Anne Frank House while I was in Amsterdam during my spring break.
I was moved to tears several times during my visit to the secret annex. It was a very overwhelming experience. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to experience it, and I am grateful to have had the chance to whisper my thanks to Anne for the beautiful lessons she has taught me.
I recommend you read this book at least once in your life, and should you ever have the opportunity to visit the Anne Frank House, I highly recommend the experience.
Hello! New here :)
in Introductions
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Welcome to the forum, Ritu! Enjoy!