The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson’s internationally best-selling trilogy

Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

This is a difficult book to review.  It’s always sad to reach the end of a series, but sadder when you know there will be no other books from the author.  Larsson gave us a suitable end to the story, filled with danger, intrigue, politics, conspiracies, and cover-ups, but still able to tie up all the loose ends.  Salander is on the sidelines for most of the novel, but she’s still able to use her gifts to help Mikael as he tries to save her from those who would like to lock her in an institution for the rest of her life (or at least until they can figure out a way to kill her). I’ve always found Mikael’s and Salander’s relationship to be interesting — part parental, part lustful, part loving, part practical — and it was easy to see that they cared for each other, even if they didn’t know how to express it most of the time.

I don’t really want to get into the plot, because I don’t want to spoil anything. But I do want to discuss some of the themes.  Larsson’s main theme throughout this trilogy has been the strength of women.  This book is filled to the brim with strong, smart, independent, not afraid to make a hard decision, sexy women. Not only Salander, but also those who worked to help her:  Mikael’s sister Annika, Erika Berger, Officer Modig, Monica Figuerola and Susanne Linder. There are no shrinking violets here.  These women are as much Salander’s savior as Mikael is.

Another theme that I think is pretty prominent is the importance of free journalism in a free society. It’s mentioned on multiple occasions that the government can’t control the press, and that’s ultimately what does the forces of evil in. With a little hacking help, of course.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. The pace isn’t quite the same as the first two, but the enjoyment level is there.  It kept me up on more than one evening as I raced towards the end.  Once Salander’s trial begins, it’s impossible to put down. If you are a fan of this series, this is a must-read.  If you haven’t read any of them yet, start at the beginning.  Immediately.

This book hits stores in the U.S. on May 25, 2010. Elsewhere, you’ve had it for months! Lucky bums.

Other reviews:

Review: The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets‘ Nest by Stieg Larsson
MYSTERIES in PARADISE: Review: THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST
Sunday Salon – Review of “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets‘ Nest

Page count: 576 | Approximate word count: 158,400

2009: Afraid (Jack Kilborn)
2008: Never Tell (Karen Young)
2007: Deviant Ways (Chris Mooney)
2006: Into Thin Air (Stan Washburn)
2005: Back Roads (Tawni O’Dell)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; 2010 Pub Challenge; Finish That Series Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

From the acclaimed author of the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World comes a searing, ruthlessly honest new novel about a marriage both stressed and strengthened by the demands of serious illness.

Shep Knacker has long saved for "The Afterlife": an idyllic retreat to the Third World where his nest egg can last forever. Traffic jams on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway will be replaced with "talking, thinking, seeing, and being"—and enough sleep. When he sells his home repair business for a cool million dollars, his dream finally seems within reach. Yet Glynis, his wife of twenty-six years, has concocted endless excuses why it’s never the right time to go. Weary of working as a peon for the jerk who bought his company, Shep announces he’s leaving for a Tanzanian island, with or without her.

Just returned from a doctor’s appointment, Glynis has some news of her own: Shep can’t go anywhere because she desperately needs his health insurance. But their policy only partially covers the staggering bills for her treatments, and Shep’s nest egg for The Afterlife soon cracks under the strain.

Enriched with three medical subplots that also explore the human costs of American health care, So Much for That follows the profound transformation of a marriage, for which grave illness proves an unexpected opportunity for tenderness, renewed intimacy, and dry humor. In defiance of her dark subject matter, Shriver writes a page-turner that presses the question: How much is one life worth?

Shep is a man with a plan.  His investment account has finally rebounded, and he’s going to quit his crappy job and retire to Africa, where he can do what he want and his dollar will last.  His wife, Glynnis, probably doesn’t want to go, but he’s ready to take that chance and move on without her. Unfortunately, she has news of her own — she has cancer.  Mesothelioma, to be exact. A particularly virulent cancer that his job as a handyman could have contributed to. So he puts his dream of his "After-Life" away, and keeps his job so she can use his health insurance, in the process becoming more selfless than he ever believed he could be.

Healthcare and who pays for it is a large part of this story, but it’s also about givers and takers, and friendships, and love. Besides Glynnis’s illness, we also learn about Shep’s best friend Jackson, who has a child, Flicka, with a debilitating genetic disease and Shep’s father, whose fall down the stairs results in him living in a nursing home.  Jackson also has a bit of a healthcare crisis of his own, though it is largely of his own doing. Parts of the book are hard to read, especially as Glynnis’s sickness worsens.  But it’s not all bad. There are some especially sweet moments, like when Glynnis and Shep’s son would come home from school every day to lay on his mother’s bed with her and hold her hand while they watch TV, or when Glynnis and Flicka commiserate, the only two people in their lives who know how and what they feel.  Shriver likes to surprise us, and this book is no exception.  Her surprise marks a turning point.  It’s like the negative force of the novel dissipates enough to give us a happy ending, of sorts.  In the end, Shep is a man we can be proud of. The book does get a little bit preachy at times, but I think it’s possible to put your personal politics aside and enjoy the tale.

Other reviews:

‘So Much For That‘ by Lionel Shriver – Reading Matters

Page count: 448 | Approximate word count: 134,400

2009: Drop Shot (Harlan Coben)
2008: Creation in Death (J.D. Robb)
2007: Final Jeopardy (Linda Fairstein)
2006: All Through the Night (Mary Higgins Clark)
2005: The Count and the Confession (John Taylor)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010; ARC Reading Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; 2010 Pub Challenge; 2nd Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2; The TwentyTen Challenge;

From the author of A Gathering of Old Men and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman comes a deep and compassionate novel. A young man who returns to 1940s Cajun country to teach visits a black youth on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. Together they come to understand the heroism of resisting.

I was decidedly "meh" about this book.  I think it addresses several important issues — the plight of young black men in the early 40s, the state of the justice system at the time, the usefulness of religion — but I think those issues could have been addressed in a better way.  The main character, Grant, is not particularly likable.  He’s bitter, unmotivated, and at times, just plain mean. In fact, most of the characters in the book are not particularly likable.  Most of them appear to be downright miserable.  A sign of the times?  I don’t know, but you’d think *someone* in the novel would be a joyful person.  Jefferson, the imprisoned man, is an interesting character, but even his turn-around is a little anti-climatic. With the build-up of the novel and the title and the praise and all, I expected much more of an epiphany at the end. For me, the pay-off just wasn’t there.  If I hadn’t been reading this for my book club, I wouldn’t have finished it.

Other reviews:

Review A Lesson Before Dying « Care’s Online Book Club
Books ‘N Border Collies: A LESSON BEFORE DYING

Page count: 256 | Word count: 76,990

2009: The Uncommon Reader (Alan Bennett)
2008: A Dirty Job (Christopher Moore)
2007: The Lucky Ones (Rachel Cusk)
2006: Memory in Death (J.D. Robb)
2005: Dead Wrong (Mariah Stewart)

Used in these Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; 2010 Reading From My Shelves Project; New Author Challenge 2010; Pages Read Challenge Season 2; TwentyTen Challenge;

The town psychiatrist has decided to switch everybody in Pine Cove, California, from their normal antidepressants to placebos, so naturally—well, to be accurate, artificially—business is booming at the local blues bar. Trouble is, those lonely slide-guitar notes have also attracted a colossal sea beast named Steve with, shall we say, a thing for explosive oil tanker trucks. Suddenly, morose Pine Cove turns libidinous and is hit by a mysterious crime wave, and a beleaguered constable has to fight off his own gonzo appetites to find out what’s wrong and what, if anything, to do about it.

This was my favorite of the three Pine Cove books.  Here we get what Moore does best — a colorful cast of characters mired in an extremely unusual situation.  In this case, there’s a mysterious sea beast in town, making the newly un-drugged residents of Pine Cove somewhat… amorous. Constable Theo Crowe knows *something* is going on, but he’s not too sure what.  All he knows is that he doesn’t believe housewife Bess Leander killed herself, and it’s up to him to find out who really killed her. The only one who really has an idea of what is going on is mostly-out-of-her-mind ex-B-movie-queen Molly Michon, and who’s going to believe her? This is the Moore I first enjoyed with A Dirty Job.

Audiobook length: 8 hrs 45 min | Word count: 80,680

2009: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larsson)
2008: One Mississippi (Mark Childress)
2007: Deal Breaker (Harlan Coben)
2006: Witness in Death (J.D. Robb)
2005: Ceremony in Death (J.D. Robb)

Used in these Challenges: The Four Month Challenge; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Audiobook Challenge; TwentyTen Challenge;

Ida Joner gets on her brand-new bike and sets off toward town. A good-natured, happy girl, she is looking forward to her tenth birthday. Thirty-five minutes after Ida should have come home, her mother starts to worry. She phones store owners, Ida’s friends, anyone who could have seen her. But no one has.

Suspicion immediately falls on Emil Mork, a local character who lives alone and hasn’t spoken since childhood. His mother insists on cleaning his house weekly—although she’s sometimes afraid of what she might find there. A mother’s worst nightmare in either case: to lose a child or to think a child capable of murder. As Ida’s relatives reach the breaking point and the media frenzy surrounding the case begins, Inspector Konrad Sejer is his usual calm and reassuring self. But he’s puzzled. And disturbed. This is the strangest case he’s seen in years.

This book is part of a detective series, but it’s written like literary fiction. I thought there was some really fantastic imagery; for example, this passage, which alludes to the book’s title:

Her heart was pounding hard and it hurt; she could hear the clock on the wall ticking mechanically.  She had always thought of seconds as tiny metallic dots; now they turned into heavy black drops and she felt them fall one by one.

That stuck with me throughout the entire book, and we’re brought back to it in the end as Ida’s cousin Tomme hears a ticking in his head. The plot here consists of several strings that Inspector Sejer masterfully manages to pull together as one. We’re treated to the points of view of several people — Sejer and his partner, Jacob Skarre; Ida’s mother, Helga; Ida’s aunt, Ruth; Tomme; and even Elsa and Emil Johannes Mork — and this gives us a more well-rounded view of the story.  Unlike other crime series, the focus here is much more on the story than on one single character. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and look forward to exploring more of Fossum’s work. This emerging genre of "nordic noir" is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Other reviews:

MYSTERIES in PARADISE: Review: BLACK SECONDS, Karin Fossum
Lynda’s Book Blog: Black Seconds by Karin Fossum

Audiobook length: 9 hrs | Approximate word count: 81,600

2009: An Ice Cold Grave (Charlaine Harris)
2008: Whitewash (Alex Kava)
2007: Op-Center (Tom Clancy)
2006: The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
2005: Blue Gold (Clive Cussler)

Used in these Challenges: The Four Month Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Audiobook Challenge; New Author Challenge; TwentyTen Challenge;

When Catherine Morrow is admitted to the Esther Percy School for Girls, it’s on the condition that she reform her ways. But that’s before the charismatic and beautiful Skye Butterfield, daughter of the famous Senator Butterfield, chooses Catherine for her best friend. Skye is a young woman hell-bent on a trajectory of self-destruction, and she doesn’t care who is taken down with her. No matter the transgression—a stolen credit card, a cocaine binge, an affair with a teacher, an accident that precipitates the end of Catherine’s promising riding career—Catherine can neither resist Skye’s spell nor stop her downward spiral.

De Gramont’s chilling novel is a portrait of an adolescent girl so thoroughly seduced by a peer that she willingly follows her to ruin. Caught in a world that is both appealing and astonishing, these young women are sexual beings with the minds of teenagers: willful, selfish, daring, and cruel—all the while believing they’re utterly indestructible.

This book was both good, and not good. The good was that de Gramont does a great job of weaving this story of tragic youth. The story moved easily, and was believable for the timeframe (today, I’m sure the drug of choice would be something different). The not good part of the story was that I struggled to connect with either Catherine or Skye, a couple of spoiled rich girls who go through their lives without any real serious thought of the people around them. I was able to sympathize a bit with Catherine by the end, since she seems like she’s trying to change her path, but when everything comes crashing down, it’s hard to feel sorry for her. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who was more drawn to who. In Catherine, Skye finds the rebellion she’d been struggling to find, and in Skye, Catherine finds the loyalty she’s searched for. Really, I felt most sorry for those who were trampled in their path.

Other reviews:

Em’s Bookshelf: Gossip of the Starlings by Nina de Gramont Book Review
Book Club Breakdown: Gossip of the Starlings by Nina de Gramont

Page count: 276 | Approximate word count: 82,800

2009: The Prey (Allison Brennan)
2008: Sad Cypress (Agatha Christie)
2007: The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud (Julia Navarro)
2006: Kill the Messenger (Tami Hoag)
2005: G is for Gumshoe (Sue Grafton)

Used in these Challenges: The Four Month Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; ARC Reading Challenge; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; New Author Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

All her life Ellie Enderlin had been known as Lila’s sister—until the day Lila, a top math student at Stanford, was murdered, and the shape of their family changed forever. Twenty years later, Ellie is a professional coffee buyer who has never put down roots. When, in a chance meeting, she comes into possession of the notebook that Lila carried everywhere, Ellie returns home to finally discover the truth about her sister’s death—a search that will lead her to Lila’s secret lover, to the motives and fate of a man who profited from their family’s grief, and ultimately to the deepest secrets even sisters keep from each other. From the bestselling author of The Year of Fog (“Highly recommended [for fans of] authors like Jodi Picoult and Jacquelyn Mitchard.”—Library Journal [starred review]), this is a riveting family drama about loss, love, and the way hope redefines our lives—a novel at once heartbreaking, provocative, and impossible to put down.

I enjoyed this, though I do confess to skimming some of the parts about math.  I may have been a math major once upon a time, but I don’t really enjoy reading about it.  Other than that, I thought Ellie and Lila’s story was quite interesting.  Ellie has 20 years of guilt that she has to deal with, and that is almost more important than figuring out who actually killed her sister. I especially enjoyed the use of setting in the story — whether Ellie was in San Francisco or Nicaragua, I felt like I was there with her.  All of Ellie’s relationships, whether they be close (like with her parents) or casual, are odd and strained, leading the reader to believe that Ellie and Lila were more alike than either of them thought. One unexpected result of reading this is that I’ll never look at a true crime novel quite the same way again.  How much of it is truth, and how much is conjecture?  How much of the story is written just to push the author’s agenda?  What was the family’s reaction to the book?  It gives you something to think about.

Other reviews:

S. Krishna’s Books: No One You Know – Michelle Richmond
Musings of a Bookish Kitty: Review: No One You Know by Michelle Richmond
Peeking Between the Pages: Book Review: No One You Know by Michelle Richmond
Book Review: No One You Know « Stone SouP
Presenting Lenore: Book Review: No One You Know by Michelle Richmond

Page count: 352 | Approximate word count: 105,600

2009: Upbound (Peter Hassebroek)
2008: Midnight Rain (Holly Lisle)
2007: Weep Not For The Vampire (William Veselik)
2006: Bloody Bones (Laurell K. Hamilton)
2005: Mind Prey (John Sandford)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010; ARC Reading Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; New Author Challenge 2010; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

TOM PERROTTA’s thirtyish parents of young children are a varied and surprising bunch.  There’s Todd, the handsome stay-at-home dad, dubbed “The Prom King” by the moms at the playground, and his wife, Kathy, a documentary filmmaker envious of the connection Todd has forged with their toddler son.  And there’s Sarah, a lapsed feminist surprised to find she’s become a typical wife in a traditional marriage, and her husband, Richard, who is becoming more and more involved with an internet fantasy life than with his own wife and child.

This is one of those books where not a whole lot *happens*.  You just sort of meander through the summer with Todd and Sarah as their relationship grows and other facets of their lives fall to the wayside. In the backdrop you have the saga of Ronald McGorvey and Larry Moon, a pedophile and the ex-cop who wants to drive him out of town. Mostly this book is about Todd and Sarah and their quest to figure out what they really want in life.  The ending wasn’t really what I expected, and it’s a little surprising which of the two actually figures it out first.  The title of this book is interesting, since the people who act most childlike are the adults — it seems that everyone is primarily concerned with instant gratification, not long-term consequences. I read this for my book group, and it was a much quicker read than I expected.  I enjoyed it, and I’m curious to see how the other people in my book club approach it.  Between the adultery, sexual fetishes, and somewhat misplaced feminism, I’m expecting it to be a lively discussion.

Other reviews:

Lotus Reads: "Little Children" by Tom Perrotta
[62] Little Children – Tom Perrotta « A Guy’s Moleskine Notebook

Page count: 355 | Word count: 97,342

2009: Summer (Edith Wharton)
2008: Dead Witch Walking (Kim Harrison)
2007: Between Friends (Debbie Macomber)
2006: The Rule of Four (Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason)
2005: D is for Deadbeat (Sue Grafton)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Reading From My Shelves Project; Pages Read Challenge Season 2; TwentyTen Challenge;

The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years — except Biff, the Messiah’s best bud, who has been resurrected to tell the story in the divinely hilarious yet heartfelt work "reminiscent of Vonnegut and Douglas Adams" (Philadelphia Inquirer).

Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Savior’s pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But there’s no one who loves Josh more — except maybe "Maggie," Mary of Magdala — and Biff isn’t about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.

I thought this was pretty good, and not nearly as sacrilegious as I thought it might be. When we meet Joshua (Jesus) at a young age he is already quite aware of who he is and who his father is, amusing his younger brother by bringing dead lizards back to life (his ability to reanimate is a recurring theme). Biff is quite likeable, if misguided at times, and is thoroughly devoted to Josh — something that is readily apparent by the end of the story.  There’s no big surprise about how it ends, but the middle is wholly original. Josh and Biff’s journey to find the three wise men who witnessed his birth has a touch of The Christmas Carol in it, as Josh learns something new about himself with each adventure. This is definitely one of Moore’s stronger novels.

Other reviews:

an adventure in reading: BOOK: Lamb by Christopher Moore
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
Look At That Book: Review: Lamb – Christopher Moore
A Hoyden’s Look at Literature: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff

Page count: 444 | Word count: 148,137

2009: Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (Diana Gabaldon)
2008: Lord John and the Private Matter (Diana Gabaldon)
2007: No Second Chance (Harlan Coben)
2006: Lost Innocents (Patricia MacDonald)
2005: 3rd Degree (James Patterson)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Reading From My Shelves Project; Pages Read Challenge Season 2; TwentyTen Challenge;

Book #133 was Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore.  The back of the book reads:

Jody never asked to become a vampire. But when she wakes up under an alley Dumpster with a badly burned arm, an aching back, superhuman strength, and a distinctly Nosferatuan thirst, she realizes the decision has been made for her.

Making the transition from the nine-to-five grind to an eternity of nocturnal prowlings is going to take some doing, however, and that’s where C. Thomas Flood fits in. A would-be Kerouac from Incontinence, Indiana, Tommy (to his friends) is biding his time night-clerking and frozen-turkey bowling in a San Francisco Safeway. But all that changes when a beautiful undead redhead walks through the door…and proceeds to rock Tommy’s life — and afterlife — in ways he never thought possible.

Now this is the Christopher Moore I initially raved about.  This is light and irreverent and a lot of fun. The main characters are likeable and the supporting cast strong.  The "Animals", Tommy’s fellow night-shifters at the Safeway, seemed like precursors to the "Nerd Herd" on Chuck. Moore explores some of the little talked about side effects of becoming a vampire, like having to quit your job and figuring out what to do when your car gets towed and you can’t retrieve it in the daytime. Then again, it’s hard to beat the perks of perfect skin and superhuman strength.  This is the first book of a series, and we’ll definitely be listening to You Suck sometime this year.

Other reviews:

Christopher Moore: Bloodsucking Fiends – Book Review
REVIEW: Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
Ace and Hoser Blook: Bloodsucking Fiends

Audiobook length: 9hrs 18min | Approximate word count: 76,000

2007: Side Effects (Michael Palmer)

Used in these Challenges: none