When I was younger, I didn’t understand people who read mysteries. I was a Serious Reader, interested only in Serious Fiction. I felt vaguely sorry for people who read genre fiction and still had the audacity to think of themselves as readers. [Wow. What a pompous idiot I was!]
And then, about two years ago, I became deeply and hopelessly addicted to mysteries. Because my life was pretty difficult at the time and I didn’t want my reading to be difficult as well.
Now some people- some very uniformed people- have accused me of never admitting I am wrong. So I want to go on record right here, right now as saying that I was wrong about genre fiction. Wrongedy-wrong-wrong-wrong.
A few weeks ago I got an email from a publishing house asking me to do a book giveaway. And I was crazy flattered. But also the tiniest bit conflicted. Because the book they gave me to give away is a very violent and somewhat dark thriller/mystery called The Girl Who Played with Fire. It’s the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a book I enjoyed immensely.
BUT. Both books repeatedly reference a rape that is graphically depicted. It’s integral to the plot of the books but it’s tough to read. There is also a whole lot swearing in the book, and I don’t mean ass and damn. I mean hard-core swearing that could make a Navy veteran blush. That being said I couldn’t put either of these books down. Un. Put. Down. Able.
If you would like to win a shiny new copy of The Girl Who Played with Fire, comment on this post. Winner will be chosen at random tomorrow night at 10 p.m. Good luck y’all!
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i’m very much in need of a new book right now. and my own language generally puts a navy vet to shame, so i’m cool with the hardcore swearing.
I also tend to gravitate toward easier, more mindless books when things get darker in my real life. It’s just how it is. A death in the family or a failed relationship and suddenly I don’t want to read anything but Bridget Jones wannabes, lol.
I’m addicted to mysteries myself! This one sounds riveting!
There is nothing like a good mystery. I love listening to books on my way home from work with my boyfriend.
munkiknits at yahoo.com
I love a good mystery! Cursing to make Navy vets blush? That’s me! Ya wouldn’t think it, but then again, you didn’t know me in college.
Sounds like an interesting book. I go up and down in terms of mysteries. I’ll read nothing but for a while and then switch to something totally different.
I read a fair amount of mysteries…love Laurie King if you’re looking for another author.
thanks for the book giveaway. fingers crossed my name will be picked.
Me please! I’ve been a long time reader, first time commenter, but this caught my attention. Living in central Manitoba excludes me from the Rhinebeck giveaways (some day I’ll make it, but not this year…) but this one is all me! My father actually used to ask me why I preferred sitting in my room with a book to “spending quality time with the family watching tv” in the evenings, just to give you an idea of how much I’ve always loved to read. Free books are always wonderful!
**crosses fingers**
Love books! Here’s a good one I am reading now, Yes, My Darling Daughter!
One of my favorite books from last year, and I have been staring at the new one, thinking… you can wait a little while, you have too much to read right now…. HA! I can only wait so long…
Hmm, so these two books were on my list for my next up reads, but to be honest I hadn’t heard about all of the content matter. I can handle the swearing (I’m quite and expert at it myself). That said, I’d still like to check these books out.
Cheers
I love to read any genre, as long as it’s well written!
I’d love it! I’m currently reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but am too cheap to spring for hardback for the new one.
This is my last fling reading prior to the start of the school year… middle school band.
I’d love to be able to learn to swear well enough to make a sailor blush!
Ooo! My boyfriend has these, but only in Swedish, which helps me not at all
A mystery book is good on a cold, rainy day, and also on a day when it is too hot to go outdoors! I’m in!
Oh, heck yeah! I’m in agreement with you that serious books are way too much when life/work are serious too. Nice of you to do the giveaway…and you KNOW I don’t have a problem with swearing!
Yes, please. Pick me.
I think I spend my whole life in a mystery in one way or another. Not only do I read any mystery I can get my hand on, I’m in the process of doing my forensic science degree so I can then “solve” mysteries! One of the things I an very interested within my degree is helping in rape and assault cases. My other degree is in psychology where I also spent a lot of time looking at rape, assault, and abuse.
I’ve actually never heard of these books, but now you have me intrigued that I would love to see how these books play with the rape of a character. Not many books touch serious situations such as rape so I’m as I said intrigued.
So please do put me in for the draw as I’d now love to get my hands on this book
Mysteries and crimies are the greatest books for summer – always!
Loved the first book and have the second on reserve at the library. Would love to win this one and then donate it to our library as I do with all of my books.
Oh! I am in a stage of no-serious reading aloud, and would love to dive right into a copy of this book. I have a toddler and am currently experiencing pregnancy insomnia with baby #2, due shortly. I am dying for some adult, yet good, reading!
I think the genre used to take a bum rap for attracting some formula writers, but there are some great mystery writers out there, starting with the classic, The Moonstone by Willie Collins. I confess, that this summer I picked up the first of of Charlene Harris’s vampire series which is quasi-mystery, comedy, and romance (and I swore I would never read romance and call myself a reader, but hey, she is a fun writer and I Went out and bought the second, “Dead and Living in Dallas.”
And now I am reading 2666, by Chilean writer
Roberto Bolano, that culminates with the unsolved real- life mysteries of the women murdered along the U.S. Mexican border. It will be brutal and unsettling, reviews say, but also one of the books out there in 2008. Then there is Dashiell Hammett, John LeCarre, great writers with character development. I love Robert Parker, he’s a tight writer with a fast pace. I think he gets better and better. It’s certainly not all I read. I’ve been a 50+-year fan of mysteries since I could read, pulling the covers up over my head, half scared and half cold on a winter night with a flashlight and one lazy eye closed long after official bedtime on a school night.
So, count me interested.
Love this author!!
These sound like they could make good train reading. When the creepy guy tries to read over my shoulder I can just start reading aloud and hope he gets the hint.
Sounds interesting! I’d love a chance to win.
I read the first one and would love to read this as well! Thanks!
I love books, even difficult books, and you’ve inspired me to read these ASAP (even if I don’t win!)
Don’t choose me! lol
I don’t know that I would want to read the second book without the first one. Plus, not too crazy about the subject matter.
I just wanted to say that if all you read at that time was serious fiction, you would have been seriously disappointed by me. I read everything I could get my hands on from the time I was 7 on up. When I was about 11 or 12, a friend of mine would give me 3 or 4 paper shopping bags full of Harlequin romance novels. *Very disappointed!* lol
And plus, serious fiction examples requested please. I do have a friend who’s nice enough not to look down her nose at me for reading fiction, though she is seriously into biographical type stuff and desperate “everybody in this book is doomed, depressed or should be suicidal if they’re not already”, Oprah book club-type fiction (The Bluest Eye–don’t read that. First and last Oprah book club selection ever).
I tried to corrupt her to fun fiction, I really did, but I think she prefers Depression-era stuff. At least we can talk about it to each other.
PD- David Suchet Poirot is just the absolute best! Even when I never see who actually done it coming. I read Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” a few times; I loved it. It is the only actual “dead body in a locked room” mystery I have ever read.
Me, me, pick me!!
I love books. In any way, shape, or form! My theory on books is – sometimes you *want* to read classics, and sometimes genre fiction is enough. I actually like books with difficult situations in them; gives me something to think about, and usually starts a conversation with my DH about the topic at hand.
I love having something fun to read. I’ve been a fan of genre fiction for years!
I love any book with hard core swearing.
Please add me to the drawing.
Love reading mysteries. What a great way to start the fall. Thanks for sharing!
Dang! Waitlist at library for both. I am 20th.
i LOVE mysteries – the ladies at the library say they can always tell my holds list because it’s always at least 1/2 murder mysteries in the stack
please count me in and thanks for the giveaway! 
I loved Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, too! Though I, also, was very disturbed by the rape scene. In fact, I couldn’t recommend the book to my dad, even though he would’ve loved everything else about it, because that scene was just so graphic. Anyway, I would love to read the next book. Thanks for doing the giveaway!
Count me in! Sounds great. Thanks.
I’ve heard great things about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but haven’t yet psyched myself up to buy the thing. I, too, tend to scoff at mysteries, but I find that now I have to qualify that statement: I scoff at lame mysteries.
I love reading “serious fiction” but I’ll take a good mystery and a comfortable chair any day!!
I just bought the first one and am VERY keen to read the second one as well!
I would love to win the free book!
Sounds a little like Lovely Bones!
Thanks,
I love a good mystery and I hope your chihuahua is smelling better now.
i need some new books to read!
when do u have time to read?!!?
LOL…
i work in a library, so we all walk around with reading materials of some sort under our noses, in our arms, in our tote bags, piled on our desks…
u get the picture!
it would be hilarious if i won a book giveaway from my fiber farm!!!
combining my two favorite passtimes!
Yes, please. I would love to read it!
Love mysteries, and not scared of potty-mouth. Skillful swearing can be an art form.
Reading-snobbery is all the same as any other kind, perhaps like mine – yards are meant for growing food…I’m a “serious young, urban farmer” – no time for pretty here!
We all outgrow our ideas eventually…consider it evolution…? well, evolution is a prettier word than snob anyway.
Tara
I’ve been on a bit of a reading jag lately, so this would be a nice addition to my little stack of to read book. I recently finished Twilight and am now on New Moon. Didn’t see the movie, so don’t have anything to compare it with, but they’re pretty good. Not serious literature, for sure, but entertaining.
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