The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

It’s not often that a book totally consumes my life but for the last couple of days I haven’t been able to put “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” down. It started out slow and I have to admit that I wanted to skip a little further ahead but once I got into the story my life jumped into hold mode while I eagerly consumed this fast pace thriller. Every time I tried to put it down to do something else I found my thoughts wondering back to Mikael and Lisbeth and their frantic quest to figure out what happened to Harriet Vanger decades ago when she went missing from her family’s home.

The story takes place in Sweden. Henrik Vanger is getting up in age and is determined to discover what happened to his niece all those many years ago when she went missing from a family gathering on the family’s island. He hires the recently disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist to investigate the cold case with hopes that he will finally find the answer to Harriet’s disappearance. Lisbeth, a tattooed, multi-pierced, punk, super hacker becomes his sidekick helping him gather the information as they go digging up dirty family secrets looking for clues.

It was a great read and I encourage anyone who enjoys a good suspense novel to pick it up. When you’re done, check out the sequel The Girl who Played with Fire It too is promising to be a great story.

Hot New Books -- Jan 11, 2010

Here is a sample of some new books the library has added to its collection. Enjoy!

M E81aL
Alone / by Loren D. Estleman.
Struggling to keep his beloved run-down movie palace from being condemned, film archivist Valentino attends a gala party held in memory of Greta Garbo and learns about a letter revealing the icon's scandalous affair, a situation that is complicated by a blackmailer's untimely murder.

“Hollywood Goofiness, Odeon Restoration, Movie History, Film Preservation, Garbo, Murder, Detection, Romance, and Humor!”

F M333yft
Your Face Tomorrow : poison, shadow and farewell. Volume 3 / Javier Marías.
In the sequel to Your face tomorrow : dance and dream, MI6 recruit Jaime Deza returns to Madrid to spy on and protect his own family, a mission that involves psychologically grueling losses.

F H6785de
Deeper Than the Dead / by Tami Hoag.
A California town is rocked to its core when four children stumble upon a murder victim, drawing Special Agent Tony Mendez into a search for a psychopathic serial killer called the 'See-No-Evil' killer.

F C5272r
Remarkable Creatures / by Tracy Chevalier.
Tracy Chevalier's sixth novel, Remarkable Creatures, traces the dramatized life of pioneer fossil collector Mary Anning of Lyme Regis in seaside 19th century England.

F J614g
A Good Fall : stories / by Ha Jin.
An anthology by the National Book Award-winning author of The Bridegroom contains intricately detailed pieces illuminating the experiences of Chinese immigrants in America.

F D3535n
Not my Daughter / by Barbara Delinsky.
Devastated by her teenage daughter's pregnancy, single mother and high school principal Susan Tate is targeted by unfair criticism when the pregnancies of additional teens are rumored to be part of a pact.

"Emotionally intelligent … exploring the battlefields of contemporary life."

F P243i
Iron River / by T. Jefferson Parker.
Charlie Hood runs the California-Mexico border with the ATF, searching for the iron river--the massive and illegal flow of firearms that fuels the cartel wars south of the border -- and soon finds a disturbing personal connection.

F O11fa
A Fair Maiden / by Joyce Carol Oates.
Approached by an elegant and seemingly harmless older gentleman while babysitting, 16-year-old Katya Spivak is entranced and agrees to pose for his newest painting. As the relationship progresses she realizes that he may have a hidden agenda.

M H221L
The Lock Artist / by Steve Hamilton.
After miraculously surviving an act of violence as a child, the mute Michael grows up with the ability to open any lock or safe, a talent he sells to any buyer in the crime world. However, a botched heist forces him to go home where he must face the secret that has kept him so quiet.

"A smart, inventive thriller, packed with safe-cracking trade secrets.”

F T981no
Noah's Compass / by Anne Tyler.
Preparing to retire early from an unfulfilling teaching, Liam Pennywell struggles to remember missing memories of the night before he awoke in the hospital with a head injury, an effort that leads to unexpected discoveries.


M J33tr
Trial by Fire / by J.A. Jance.
Taking a media relations position with the Yavapai County Police Department, former television journalist Ali Reynolds investigates a fire and the identity of an injured amnesiac woman, a case that unleashes a family drama and a remorseless killer.

Book of the Month - Day After Night

Anita Diamant’s Day After Night is based on the real life drama that took place in October 1945 in the British run, Atlit interment camp for Holocaust survivors. It follows the day to day lives of several of the women in the camp, narrating how they came to be in the camp and what their hopes and dreams are for the future. Several of their stories are tragic as they recount the horrors they witnessed and the loved ones they lost but their stories are uplifting as well for they never lose hope. Hope for their future, hope for freedom and continued survival.

It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve been moved to tears over a work of fiction but this was a very special book. Simon and Schuster very graciously sent the library a copy to read (we are very delighted that they did !). Day after Night is not the normal genre of book I would normally pick up on my own to read but I’m happy that I did. The bonds of friendship that were created and shared between the four main characters made for a fascinating read.

Reserve your copy today at your local library.