Bookish Review: The Girl Who Played with Fire

This book is the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which I really thought I already reviewed on here, but it sure doesn't look like it. My short review on facebook was: "A little slow to start, but very interesting and a good read. Can't wait to get my hands on the next one." Make sure you read that one first, and then get your hands on this one.

Stieg Larsson tends to set up his books with many different characters and storylines going on so that when you start you wonder where the heck he is going with all of it and how it will fit together, bit somehow it all works. The pacing in the beginning is slow, but it picks up as the book goes on. He has created some very interesting characters, particularly the main characters of Mikael Blomkvist, a journalistic crusader and ladies' man, and Lisbeth Salander, an astonishingly smart but socially inept hacker that has been declared incompetent by the state (she's "the girl" in both titles). This book brings more insight into Salander's psychological make-up as we learn more about the past, including who her father is. The main plot of the book centers around human trafficking and the sex trade in Sweden. Blomkvist is working with an author who intends to write an expose on the situation, but when he is murdered, and Salander becomes the main suspect, it is up to Blomkvist to discover what is really going on. Meanwhile, Salander stumbles upon a link to her past that she would very much like to sever, and though she doesn't want to rely on Blomkvist at all, she must accept his aid, at least a little.

The book definitely leaves you wanting more and sets things up nicely for the final volume in the trilogy, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Larsson has a very interesting and compelling style and it is extremely unfortunate that he is now deceased, so these 3 books are presumably the only ones we'll see from him. Highly recommended.

Bookish Review: Revenge of the Spellmans

Lisa Lutz has done it again with another great Spellman romp. This is the third book in the series--please read the 1st two first; you won't regret it. It's a very fast and fun read. Izzy Spellman is forced into court-ordered therapy, which she mostly gets through by taking long pauses where she pretends to think about her responses. In the meantime, she takes up secretly living in her brother's house while trying to investigate the recent changes in his life. She also must decide if she wants to quit the PI biz for good, or go back to working for her parents. She also needs to stop Rae, her sister, from trying to break up their cop friend Henry and his girlfriend (even though Izzy is in love with Henry) and stop her from stealing Izzy's car. She must also convince her old friend Morty to move away to Florida and solve a case--the result of which will determine her future.

There's lots of intrigue, familial investigating, blackmail, car chases, stakeouts--all the usual Spellman ingredients. It's funny and well-written, and I can't wait for the next one!

Bookish Review: The Long Way Home by Andrew Klavan

The Long Way Home is the second book in the Homelanders series by Andrew Klavan.

Charlie West was an ordinary teen until he woke up to discover a year of his life gone--during which he’d been convicted of murder and gotten involved with a gang of terrorists. Charlie is headed back to his hometown to uncover the true murderer and prove his innocence—to himself and everyone else.

This story is Christian YA fiction. It’s written in relatively quick chapters, and since Charlie is on the run from the police and a bunch of terrorists, it is pretty fast-paced. The main character is 18, though his point of view does feel a bit younger. Keeping in mind that an entire year has passed that he can’t remember, I suppose the slightly younger tone is not out of place. At times, I found the tone a bit dogmatic, but overall, it is a fairly fast read with a patriotic feel. I could definitely see this used in a Christian homeschool curriculum. I did not read the first book in the series, but I wasn’t confused about the plot. Some interesting points are revealed, and it does leave you wondering what will happen next. Recommended for teen guys with patriotic/religious leanings.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com http://BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Cookish: What's for dinner?

Tortilla Soup

Well, folks, I have developed a bit of a cold. You know what the remedy for that is--chicken soup, no? But chicken noodle is...great, but not that special. I need a little more kick to power through this, so chicken tortilla soup it is.

Canola oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 serrano chile, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced or grated

cumin

chile powder

oregano

1 packet sazon (optional)

black pepper

1 quart of chicken stock

1 can tomato sauce

1 chicken breasts

3 carrots, chopped

1 can black beans

corn, canned or frozen (or fresh)

crushed tortilla chips (optional)

For garnish:

limes

cheese

tortilla chips

sour cream

Put enough oil to cover the bottom of the pot and heat over medium heat. Add onion and chile and saute over medium heat. Once onions start to soften, add 3 grated garlic cloves. add cumin, chile powder, and oregano and toast. I also had some sazon con culantro e achiote, so I threw a packet in. That does contain MSG, so be aware, if you have an allergy. I wouldn't buy it just for this, but if you have it, why not throw it in? Add black pepper, chicken stock, and chicken breasts (you can even add these directly from the freezer--that's what I did) and a bay leaf or two and allow to simmer until chicken is cooked. While the chicken is cooking, peel and chop 3 carrots. Drain the excess liquid off a can of black beans. When the chicken is done (or nearly so, you are going to add it back to the soup), remove it from the pot and allow to cool slightly. Add carrots, corn, tomato sauce, and beans to the pot. If you have some leftover tortilla chips, you can crush them and add to the soup to help it thicken. Shred chicken and return to pot to simmer until everything is cooked and flavors melded. Taste, and add seasoning if necessary.

Serve with tortilla chips/strips, avocado, a squeeze of lime, and cheese or sour cream. You can make the tortilla strips yourself from flour or corn tortillas or just buy some chips. (You can even make the tortillas yourself--it's quite easy to make either corn or flour tortillas, but it is time consuming.)

The soup is quite tasty, and I feel that I am on the road to recovery!

Bookish Review: The Book Thief

I had heard a LOT about The Book Thief. The book garnered lots of awards and buzz and praise, so I was very excited to read it. From the title, I am not sure what I expected. I think I had read that it involved WWII, so perhaps I was thinking it was about someone who saved books from being burned in the war. It's not.

First of all, it is set during WWII, so you have to know it can't be the cheeriest story. It involves war, and death, and deprivation.

Secondly, it's narrated by Death. So, again, doesn't point to the warm fuzzies.

But it is a lovely book. A story about a young German girl in an unusual home in a small town in Germany. Her family takes in and befriends a Jewish man during the war, but eventually it becomes too risky, for him and for them. The girl cannot read, but her foster father patiently and painstakingly teaches her until she becomes a lover of words and a stealer of books.

It's not the typical Holocaust story or just a book lovers' story, but it is beautifully written and touching.

Highly recommended.

Bookish Review: Cross Bones

Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs is another book in her series featuring Temperance Brennan. This one takes Tempe on a crazy international quest to Israel to investigate the provenance of some bones that show up in Canada by way of France after disappearing from an archaeological dig in Israel many years ago. A possible conspiracy is involved, as some believe the bones belong to Jesus Christ, a find which would have huge historical and religious implications. The plot only gets more complicated, with more bones uncovered, once she arrives overseas.

The book is good and entertaining, but I have the same problem I had with the last book I read in the series: I am too much of a fan of the TV show Bones, which is (loosely) based on these books. The Bones depicted in the show is pretty much nothing like the Temperance depicted in the books, and since I like the show so much, I find that a disappointment. However, if you only read the books or don't watch the show, this is an interesting historical mystery with some grounding in actual archaeological finds. Fans of the Da Vinci code or Steve Berry books might enjoy.

Bookish Movie: Confessions of a Shopaholic

This movie was based on a so-so, fluffy novel by Sophie Kinsenella. The movie is rather vapid and feels a little long. Isla Fisher is cute and believable and the male lead is adorable, but the main character is not as loveable as she could be and the movie as a whole just feels slow & predictable. Easy to tell from the trailer exactly what you're going to get, which is not always a problem with a romantic comedy, but this one just falls a little flat. Not terrible, but not that good, either.