The One Where I Talk About Books I've Read Recently

Negligent blogger again!  As always, though, I have an excuse:  the camera is down because my husband and I are too lazy to buy batteries, so I can't share anything from that.  However, I will say that we had a very nice Christmas and New Year's, and that nothing of interest really happened over the holidays, other than we enjoyed hanging out together, and we've really enjoyed watching all of the bowl games for the past few days (SEC!) and are particularly looking forward to the Sugar Bowl tonight, obviously.  So, other than hanging with Alan and the spoiled labradors and the bad cat, nothing really interesting to write about as far as what's happening in the Ward world, so I thought I'd talk about some of the books I've read recently.

I finally finished the Millenium Trilogy, by Stieg Larsson.  Good story - the first and last were the best, and I found the middle to drag a bit, honestly thought it was a bit boring and slow, til the end (which really sets up the third one, which is the best, in my opinion).  Very dark books, full of violence against women and violence in general, but still a compelling read.  Larsson died suddenly in 2004, and the aftermath of his death makes for an interesting read (or maybe that's just because I'm an attorney, and there's lots of estate/probate law issues), not the least because of the possibility of the existence more novels in the series.

Got a Kindle over Christmas and I will say that it's pretty awesome.  I mean, I'm still going to frequent the library, because I love libraries, and I love books (like, actual physical books), so I don't think it'll take the place of the real deal ever, but it is neat to have (also, I'm pretty frugal about books ... I really have to want to read something to actually buy it instead of just waiting for it from the library ... case in point:  I waited for several weeks to read the final book in the above-mentioned Millenium Trilogy instead of just buying it at Hasting's or something). 

The first book I purchased and read on the Kindle was The Hangman's Daughter.  Bought it at 8:00 on Sunday night and stayed up reading it til 2:00 a.m. Monday morning, so I guess you would say it also gets the thumbs up.  Very good mystery, simply written (which I mean as a compliment, as in:  it's not overwrought), likeable characters.

I will also admit to loving some good "chick lit".  I like Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep a Secret?, Plum Sykes' Bergdorf Blondes and The Debutante Divorcee, and I like Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed and Something Blue ... also, I am not above reading Danielle Steele and Nora Roberts (don't judge ... everybody needs some literary candy in their life ... you can't read War and Peace all of the time). 

Up next is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (on the Kindle) and A Dog's Purpose and Unbroken:  A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.  I'll try and report back after reading. 

If anyone's looking for something to read, I'll give you a list of books that I've liked or that I always recommend when people ask me if I've read anything good recently (most of these would qualify as "light" reading, I guess ... whatever:  still enjoyable).

1.  The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
2.  The Outlander series, by Diana Gabaldon
3.  The Stephanie Plum series, by Janet Evanovich
4.  The Sookie Stackhouse series, by Charlaine Harris (an Arkansas lady!)
5.  anything by James Herriot
6.  Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
7.  Freakonomics:  A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
8.  The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein
9.  The Other Boleyn Girl, by Phillipa Gregory
10.  Go Fug Yourself Presents:  The Fug Awards, by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks

Happy Reading!