Regular readers may remember that last summer, I received a copy of the book The Girl Who Played with Fire from the publisher to give away on my blog. Although I was appropriately honored to be chosen for the giveaway, I was also kind of puzzled. The book is the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and both books are fantastic and fantastically violent.
The violence isn’t in the least bit gratuitous- it’s all integral to the plot and I enjoyed both of them immensely. I have actually listened to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo audio book several times on long car trips. Both books are well-written thrillers, which is very nearly an oxymoron in my opinion.
Long story short, this week I received another package from the publishing house containing a bound galley of the third and final book in the series, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest. The highly anticipated publication date of the third book isn’t until May 27, but I received one of only 30 available early copies to giveaway to one of my lucky, lucky readers.
I was sorely tempted to just read the galley myself, cause I cannot wait for it to be released, but I’m resisting the impulse. I’m still entirely baffled by this entire series of events, but I am not one to look gift horses (or sheep) in their mouths.
I am going to repeat the caveat I put in my previous post: I haven’t read this book but the first two 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.
If you would like to win this advanced copy of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest leave a comment on this post telling me the last book you read that you would highly recommend. Entries close at midnight EST, Sunday, March 28. One entry per person, please. Multiple entries will be disqualified and the cheater’s mama will be telephoned. Seriously, y’all, play fair.
Winner will be chosen at random. The winner’s name will be posted Monday, March 29. The winner will have 48 hours to claim his/her prize or a second winner will be drawn.
And be sure to check out the website for the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movie, designed by my BFF Julie. Julie also designed a wicked-cool scavenger hunt based on the movie. Follow the clues to win movie tickets, posters and maybe even a Barnes & Noble Nook!
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“The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” by David Wroblewski
We JUST saw the movie of Dragon Tattoo 2 nights ago. SO GOOD. Can’t wait for this book. I would also highly recommend the Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Very gripping.
The City and the City by China Mieville was the last one I loved. It’s a great book.
I have recently read both “The Gargoyle” by Andrew Davidson, which is a first person story as told by a man with severe burns from a car accident, and “Heart Shaped Box” by Joe Hill, which is maybe the coolest modern ghost story I’ve read in a long time.
I heartily recommend “The King’s Last Song” by Geoff Ryman. It’s a fictionalized story of one of the ancient kings of Cambodia – around the time of the building of Ankor Wat. Fascinating history, and a wonderful novel.
Well I just read several books, The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, The girl who played with fire, I just finished Help and I am now reading I Alex Cross. I also just finish a great adventure book by Wilbur Smith called the Blue Horizon I really enjoyed that book but it is nothing like the Steig Larrson books. Those are in a class by them selves.
Since hearing an Elmore Leonard interview on NPR now that they have a TV series called “Justified” based on a short story he wrote, I’ve started checking out his mysteries. I just finished GLITZ. Set in Puerto Rico and Atlantic City. The characters are definitely multi-dimensional and while I can speak from experience about PR, he NAILED south Jersey! Not especially violent, unexpectedly funny in places and definitely unpredictable.
If you haven’t read The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje, it is hauntingly beautiful. Even if you’ve seen the movie, which was very good in its own way, I think that Ondaatje has immense talent with words and rhythm that just sticks with you.
Guernica by Dave Boling paints life in a small northern Spanish village of proud Basques living in Guernica and the obliterration by a Nazi terror bombing in 1937
The Girl with Glass Feet is an intriguing, imaginative and spirited novel, a love story to remember. Everything seems to be twisted together. I stumbled across this book at random and would love to pass it on to another. Enjoy it whether I win or not. Truly something else.
The last book that I loved that I would recommend was actually The Girl Who Played With Fire. I’ve desperately been trying to find a good book ever since.
My recommendation is “The Forgotten Garden” by Kate Morton (which I actually listened too but that counts too doesn’t it?). I stumbled across it accidentally and it turned out to be a real treasure that was a delight to discover. Amazon tags it a Victorian mystery.
I will be the first to admit I have been quite lax in my reading as of late. Most of my reading has been knitting related. I got the whole collection of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s books for Christmas, and they are wonderful fun yet educational reading. Definitely recommend.
I’m not entering to win but: I am reading this right now (sent from UK) and I HIGHLY recommend it if you’ve read the first two.
“Secrets of East Anglian Magic” by Nigel Pennick
I lived in East Anglia for three years and wondered why houses incorporated bottles in their design, and why thatched roofs were different. This book tells you meanings behind what you see. Love it.
“A Reliable Wife”-great read. I loved the first two books and would love to read the last one (soon!)
I really recommend ‘Animals in Translation’ by Temple Grandin. She is autistic but remarkably accomplished (pHd) and seems to intuatively understand animal emotions. She concedes that since people are going to continue to consume animals, but has revolutionized the meat industry to make animal suffering as minimal as possible. Really fascinating book!!
The last, and most HIGHLY recommended would be Anne Michael’s ‘Winter Vault’. You’ll want to finish it so that you can begin it all over again!
The last book I read that I would recommend is The Girl Who Played with Fire so I’m dying to read the 3rd book in the trilogy.
I’m currently reading Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale. I haven’t finished it, but will soon at the pace I’m going. It’s a great suspenseful ghost type story.
Love reading all of the previous comments! I keep saying, “Ooh, that one was good.” and “I need to put that on my list!”
Anyway, besides “The Help”, I recently read Julia Alvarez’s “In the Time of the Butterflies”. Fascinating.
I just read, finally, Moloka’i by Alan Brennert. I can’t believe I waited so long after it came out to get around to reading it.
I just read Elephant Run, a book my son will be reading soon. Before that, it was “Sister Pelagia and the Red Cockerel”, the third and last in a series of detective novels whose main character is a Russian Orthodox nun. Highly recommended!
I don’t get a lot of reading time because in most of my “spare” time I have yarn in my hands, but the last book that I read that captured my attention was “Don’t Say A Word” by Andrew Klaven.
The last book I read was “the Lovely Bones” for my book club. I enjoyed it (also depicts a rape, so similarly tragic there). We read “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” in my book club last year and I have “Girl Who Played With Fire” on my Kindle to read next. They’re great books!
I usually have two books going at once – the audio book at this time is Outlander – a great fantasy 28 CD’s long, and the printed book is “Natural Goat Care” – both wonderful reads!
It’s a short story, and I listened to it instead of reading, but Chivlary by Neil Gaiman is perfectly delightful. Also recommend The Graveyard Book by Gaiman.
I love this series! Ok, the latest book I’ve read that I would recommend is The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Very good, very readable, very entertaining.
These books are fantastic! I just finished Under the Dome by Stephen King. It’s not for King fans who miss his older stuff (he’s gotten a lot more modern and less twisty of late), but I have to say that it was an awesome exploration of small-town sociology within the horror theme.
I just finished Sarahs Key. Eye opening account of some French behavior in ww2. Historical/fiction mix.Very moving. I Highly recommend the book
Enjoyed Karen Alvtegen..Missing. Another super Scandinavian mystery type tale. Very unusual
“Black Sun Rising” by C. S. Friedman
The Red Planet – I know it’s old but my son said it was a great read and it was.
Ok, the last book that I read that I would recommend is “Last Words” by George Carlin. I loved reading about his crazy life and how he worked so hard to perform that way he wanted to perform. I
I think the last book I read which I’ve been forcing on people recently was “Blink”, by Malcolm Gladwell. It’s a really interesting read that makes you think about the choices you make without thinking.
I highly recommend *The American Girl* by Monika Fagerholm. It’s a great mystery, but also somewhat more literary, and not as sexually violent as a lot of recent mysteries. The Jo Nesbo mysteries are also excellent.
Sere here’s the thing…I hardly ever read. But this series of books have been recommended to me over and over and over and over again. I’m not sure I deserve a galley edition but I’m entering. The last book I read that I would recommend it Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep and if you want to own sheep and know nothing about them it’s the easiest of the books I have been given…learned.so.much!!!
World Without End, Ken Follett
oh yes, this is a MUCH anticipated book…
i should know i work in a library!!!
i read so many books, that sometimes its hard to pic just one, i always try to suggest books according to the personality… BUT, with that being said i would HIGHLY recommend reading PILLARS OF THE EARTH by Ken Follett. its not a new book, but it really is a MUST read. it is an historical fiction, which i typically do not like, but this book was AMAZING! he did write a recent sequel WORLD WITHOUT END, which was worth reading as well. they are both MONSTER books, but when i came to the last chapters, i read VERY slowly not wanting to leave that world behind….
OH, MY , Gosh! I love these books and the movie was so good too!
I always recommend this series, but the last book I read to recommend was called “The Help.” It was terriffic!
(you are too generous, i would totally keep this!)
Hunger Games and its sequel Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and the audio books are to die for!
the last book i read that i would recommend would have to be Barbara Kingsolvers Animal Vegetable Miracle. I read a ton but sometimes thay are just mindless entertainment. The above was entertainment with a message. Love the new title!
I just read “Perks of Being a Wallflower” I really enjoyed it
Really and truly, the last two books I read that I have been recommending (to everyone who didn’t recommend them to me) were The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire. The second was even better than the first! Can’t wait for the third…
The most recent book that I’ve read that I would recommend to others is Simone Elkeles’ “Perfect Chemistry.” It’s a young adult Romeo & Juliet story, and one that worked really nicely. Alex and Britt are from very different backgrounds, but even though they are physically attracted to one another, it’s not until they see beyond each other’s facades that they truly fall in love. Excellent stuff.
Well, the last 2 books I read were the first 2 in this series — and it does surprise me that I could so enjoy books with such unflinching violence in them. But the last book I read before that that I’d recommend is The Elegance of the Hedgehog.
Pat Conroy’s South of Broad. D says it is not his best, but I really enjoyed it.
My last read was World Without End by Ken Follett. It’s a very good book, albeit very large. If you haven’t read The Pillars of the Earth, the first in this sequel, you might want to read that first. They are both good reads
the last book I loved was The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant. I loved the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the Girl who played with fire. In fact, my whole family has read them!
I recently finish reading two wonderful books: one is the :Sarah’s Key”; and the other is “Born under a million shadows”. Born under a million shadows is a very moving very inspirational and funny book. It makes you realize how lucky we are as a nation for one having the freedom to do whatever we want, which something we take for granted every single day. the novel takes place in afganistan and the events that follow after the taliban leaves.
Sarah’s Key, is about the holocaust and what people went through with a very nice twist at the end of the novel.
In my opinion, you would love them both.
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