The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

Earlier this year I read THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and became completely immersed into the story of murder and financial intrigue, which, if I'm honest, kind of surprised me. This second book in the Millennium Trilogy is much different than the first. While THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO was mostly centered around Mikael Blomkvist, this installment takes us into the life of Lisbeth Salander and her past that she tries desperately to keep private.

Here's a quick synopsis from THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE . . .

Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. Two Millennium journalists about to expose the truth about the sex trade in Sweden are brutally murdered, and Salander's prints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable and vengeful behaviour makes her an official danger to society - but no-one can find her anywhere. Meanwhile, Mikael Blomkvist, editor-in-chief of Millennium, will not believe what he hears on the news. Knowing Salander to be fierce when fearful, he is desperate to get to her before she is cornered and alone. As he fits the pieces of the puzzle together, he comes up against some hardened criminals, including the chainsaw-wielding 'blond giant' - a fearsomely huge thug who can feel no pain. Digging deeper, Blomkvist also unearths some heart-wrenching facts about Salander's past life. Committed to psychiatric care aged 12, declared legally incompetent at 18, this is a messed-up young woman who is the product of an unjust and corrupt system. Yet Lisbeth is more avenging angel than helpless victim - descending on those that have hurt her with a righteous anger terrifying in its intensity and truly wonderful in its outcome.

My thoughts:

I'll just cut to the chase and state right here that I LOVED this book! Although I did enjoy the first book very much, I did grow tired of all of the character development and background information regarding all of the suspects surrounding the disappearance of Harriet Vanger some sixty years previous. But I hung in there and was completely satisfied with the outcome. The biggest contrast with this second book is that the character of Lisbeth Salander is front and center from the very beginning. It doesn't take long at all for things to start happening and once they do, it is a suspenseful ride filled with great characters and plot twists.

What I found impressive was that even though Salander is being hunted for murdering two people who were working closely with Blomkvist, the two of them don't actually come into contact until the last part of the book. But that doesn't mean they aren't involved with each other. I loved the way Larrson wrote this book. It completely had me from the beginning and didn't let go. It is hands down my favorite of the two books.

If you are one of those people who really had a hard time getting through book #1, I promise you won't have that problem with THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE. It is edge-of-your-seat thrilling from beginning to end. I'm very much looking forward to the third book, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS NEST. I'm planning to read it the first of the year. I resisted reading this series when it first came out because I usually don't get sucked into books with such

hype and mass popularity but my curiosity got the better of me and I can honestly say I'm really glad I made the exception. These books are definitely in my top 5 for 2010.

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE

Stieg Larsson

Publisher: Vintage

Version: Paperback

Published: March 2010

Pages: 630

Grade: A+

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I must first start off by stating that I don't normally read books that have had such a mass popular following as Stieg Larsson's books have had. A lot of books I read are written by authors who aren't so widely known or on the most popular books lists. I love reading new authors and quite honestly grow weary of hearing names like Patterson, Grafton, Koontz and others that get so much publicity in the mainstream market. I hate to sound cynical or biased, but I just don't fall for all of the hype that these popular books give off. That said, I made an exception with THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. While on vacation earlier this year, I picked up a copy and vowed to read it at some point. A few months went by and for some unknown reason, I picked it up one day and decided it was time to see what all of the fuss was about. Another reason I wanted to read it was so that I could participate in conversations about the book based on my own experience and information. Let's face it, people are talking about this book everywhere!

I'm not going to try to sum up all of what goes on in this amazing book except to say that is a story with two main characters who are equally engaging and interesting. One is Mikael Blomkvist - journalist and part owner of a controversial magazine called Millennium. The other is a twenty-four year old social misfit who is as mysterious as she is smart. The story centers around criminal financial dealings and a forty year old missing persons case. You can find a complete synopsis here from Amazon.

My thoughts:

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said over and over again? I'll just get right to it: I really enjoyed this book! I mean, I LOVED it! I'll be honest, though. When I first began reading, I was concerned that with so many characters (and difficult Swedish names) I would have a hard time keeping them straight, but once I got into the story I realized I wasn't having a problem at all. The characters, especially Blomkvist and Salander are two of the most intriguing and original characters I've ever read about. They were so well developed that by the time they actually met each other in the book, each of their personalities was clear to me. I loved their exchanges and quickly regarded their new friendship as something real and honest.

The stories going on are masterfully interwoven and kept me turning the pages with anticipation. I'm not what I consider to be a fast reader but I read this book in a very short amount of time based on my usual timetable. I just simply didn't want to stop reading and was finished in 6 days and given that it was 600 pages, that really says something. One thing I like about this book is that there is so much happening and so much to learn about the characters. Though the mystery of what happened to Harriet Vanger back in 1966 is at the book's core, there are other sub plots that play huge roles and will no doubt surface later. There are also many unanswered questions about Lisbeth that I am looking forward to being revealed. In a great mystery, answers tend to lead to more questions and Stieg Larsson was a master at crafting a powerful mystery.

However, I'll be honest - if you're the type of reader who likes to quickly get to the action in a story, you may have a difficult time waiting through all of the development that takes place in this book. Even the most seemingly unimportant detail may well turn out to be a critical part in the story. There is a certain amount of patience needed for this type of book, but in my opinion it is well worth the wait.

The bottom line is that I loved reading this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates complicated, layered plots and intriguing characters. I found it to be wonderfully multi-layered and I thoroughly enjoyed peeling back those layers to get to the end. Many times books don't live up to the hype they get from being so popular which is why I typically shy away from those books. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is the exception and I believe will not disappoint you if you choose to read it.

I can easily say this is my favorite book so far this year and even though I hated to see it come to an end, I am very much looking forward to the second book, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE. I have a feeling I'm going to love it every bit as much as this one.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (Paperback)

Author: Stieg Larsson

Publisher: Vintage Crime

Published: June 2009

Pages: 600 pages

Grade: A (Highly Recommended)

Teaser Tuesday: TGWPWF

If you'd like to play along on Teaser Tuesday, follow these simple rules. MizB hosts this weekly meme each week and it's a great way to take a peek inside some really great books!

• Grab your current read
• Let it fall open to a random page
• Pick two sentences to use as teasers
• DO NOT INCLUDE ANY SPOILERS!
• List the name and page number of the book you're taking your teasers from

This week my teasers are from the second book in Stieg Larsson's Millennium Series, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE. There's so much talk about these books everywhere, so I'll just get straight to the teasers!

Salander was seething inside. She was so enraged that she tasted blood in her mouth. Now she was going to have to punish him. ~ page 197

I can say whole heartedly that as much as I enjoyed THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, I am enjoying this second book every bit as much - possibly even more! If you're looking for a book with well developed characters and a story that has many layers, you should really make the time to read this series.

For more teasers, visit Should Be Reading.

Sunday Salon: Dystopian Fantasy

Hello and thanks for visiting today! After receiving a review copy of a new book the other day, it has left me curious. The book was unsolicited and of course, I was happy to receive it but isn't the type of book I would typically choose for myself. It is dystopian fantasy, which I rarely read and it got me to wondering if this is a genre that many of you read? I know we all have our own tastes and preferences where books are concerned and I'm really interested in your answers.

The particular book I received is WHO FEARS DEATH by Nnedo Okorafor. She is an accomplished and award-winning writer of young adult fiction, though this novel is her first foray into the adult genre. Being of Nigerian decent, she is known fo r incorporating African cultures into her science fiction writing. The title certainly grabbed my attention and I find the cover striking as well. After reading the book flap, I am actually really looking forward to reading it. For a quick synopsis of this interesting new book, click here to visit Penguin.com.

Aside from receiving this new book, I also got my 50th Anniversary Edition of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. I'm so happy to have it and I'm planning to read a little bit each evening to savor it and to make it last. Just in reading the first few chapters, I feel like I'm visiting an old friend and I find myself smiling a lot while I read. Isn't it wonderful when a book can make you feel so good?

I posted my review of a book I loved this week. It was BACKSEAT SAINTS by Joshilyn Jackson. You can find the review here. I will definitely be reading more of her previous books and looking forward to new ones as well. I know this book is making it's way around the blogs and if you get the chance, you really ought to read it, especially if you enjoy Southern Fiction. It's well worth the time.

I also finished reading A RELIABLE WIFE by Robert Goolrick last week and will be posting my review in the next day or so. I'm happy that I finally read it, although it was a different sort of book.

This week I'm reading THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson and I am really into it. I didn't know if I would like the whole financial intrigue aspect of it but I am loving it and hate putting it down. In fact, with the scorching temps we're supposed to have here today, I'm planning on staying inside reading all day. Are you planning to spend your day reading? If so, what has your attention these days?