Wallpaper entitled "Hope"

From SpookyWallpapers

Friday, February 4, 2011

I found her only to lose her...

Blew my resolution to post every week, huh? What's it been--three weeks? I guess I could blame it on the weather (snow and ice) or my birthday (late January), but neither would be true. I've just been doing more reading lately. I'm in the middle of reading five series, and I'm not even a big fan of series. When I know a new book is almost out, I usually re-read all the prior books just to remember what happened, which sometimes feels like a big waste of time. But most authors take +/- a year to get the next book out, and when I think about where I've been in the last two years, I can see why I don't remember anything.

I posted earlier--actually, the last post now that I look--about reading the Stieg Larsson trilogy that started with TGWTDT. I wasn't certain how I felt about that first book. Since then I've finished the other books, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest. Again, once I started reading, I couldn't put them down. I felt obliged to read the second one but then couldn't wait to start the third. Larsson is most definitely a master storyteller. This trilogy was like a roller coaster ride. It started out by taking me slowly up that first hill, and once it reached the top, it was a wild ride from then on. Lisbeth Salander finally stole my heart. I think I couldn't relate so much to her at first because she was so unemotional, and of course that's so not me. But I gave her and the author the benefit of the doubt and was rewarded by an amazing story of remarkable survival despite the odds, extraordinary courage acting against those who did harm and blossoming trust that reluctantly acknowledges that there are some good people in the world that we might call friends. I know, I know, I'm prone to seeing the world through rose-colored glasses and the glass half full. Lisbeth gave up on that a long time ago. She was motivated by a lot of hate, but still, I got her. In a way that someone who has never come close to suffering what she did, I got her. I really wanted to know more about her.

It's unfortunate that there may be no more books in what was to be a ten-book series. Larsson had a basic outline of the entire series, and he had about half of the fourth book written before he died. His life companion has said she could finish it, but it's tied up in the legal system. It was to be primarily about Lisbeth and her life as she adjusts to what she finally has revealed about her past. We were going to learn about the meanings of her tattoos, namely that each represented someone who had hurt her. I wanted to know what happened to her twin sister, Camille, and how she might have reacted upon learning about Lisbeth's trial and the truth of their lives. And I really wanted to know more about Lisbeth.

Not only do I highly recommend this trilogy, but I also would suggest reading Larsson's biography. His outspokenness in fighting racism made him a target of violence. Explains why he could write about it and make me feel it.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Reading List











Absolutely nothing going on of any interest to post. And having had two more snow days--really more like ice days--this past week and an upcoming holiday on Monday means not much computer time. I am currently re-reading four books of a series in anticipation of reading the fourth. The series is on the level of the Harry Potter books, but surprisingly I've enjoyed it. No, I didn't read the HP series nor have I seen any of the movies. And I finally read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Now there is a book about which I have very mixed feelings. I never felt a connection to any of the characters, and it was a tedious read, not to mention that some of it was just hard to read. That said, I stayed up all night to read it--I could not put it down. Hhmm. Weird. It did make me reconsider getting a tattoo. I've always wanted one. Probably too old now. I recently picked up the second book by Steig Larsson, The Girl Who Played With Fire, so I'll be reading that soon as well.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Cookies, chocolate and calories--Oh My!

One of my New Year's resolutions was to post at least once per week. Well, here I am once again at the last minute trying to get something in, but that still means that Resolution #1 is on track. Resolution #2 is in process as I've found a few things and put out a few feelers. I felt really vulnerable by opening myself up, and it has created some apprehension since I haven't heard back from anyone yet. I'm playing a guessing game with myself--who have they contacted and what have they been told?

Resolution #3 was to lower my spending even further, and so far into 2011, I am doing fabulous on this one! Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's only the first week? Continuing to clean up my house was #4, and that one hasn't gotten underway yet. I guess I can use the same excuse as for #3. And #5 was for me to be more creative, so making up excuses for the others has that one going strong!

Well, at least I didn't include the usual promise to lose weight. That one would have been out the window by the second day. If only my hubby hadn't bought those extra bags of after-Christmas sale priced Moravian cookies...