The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

It was with mixed feelings that I picked up this book at Landmark... And boy, did I take the right decision! Folks, I finally completed the first book of the Millennium Trilogy. And all I can say is, I can't wait to ravage the next one! Set at a breakneck pace, this compulsive whodunit really did it for me;-) I spent a couple of sleepless nights over it, itching to get to the end and find out who did it, after all.

Mikael Blomkvist is a disgraced financial journalist who has been summoned to a small village in the back of beyond, to meet a 80-year old former industrial giant. He is entrusted with the strangest investigation he might ever have come across - to find out who in the family murdered his beloved grand-niece Harriet, about 40-odd years earlier. What seems like an impossible quest soon turns out to be one hell of a ride - Mikael finds out bits and pieces of the puzzle, and unearths alarming, and spine-chilling facts about the family that make the monster Frankenstein look like a saint.

I had reached that point in the story where I began to believe that Blomkvist was the protagonist, the hero, blah blah, when Lisbeth Salander made her presence known. The full force of Lisbeth Salander's character hits you with within five minutes of her entrance; trying to actually describe her is an exercise in futility.  The most unconventional heroine I've ever come across, Lisbeth's entrance marks the point in the novel that makes it un-put-downable, and the story begins to race. Riveting is the word how the book can be described; this one is a must-read for all suspense and thriller buffs.

I don't want to reveal too much of the story here, so people, take me at my word - if you haven't already, then go out and get it. This one's a keeper. The girl, the dragon tattoo, and of course, the book. ;-)

Steig Larsson

I've started reading The Millenium Trilogy. Am still on the first book, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but I'm hoping to complete it soon, maybe this weekend. Review later this week :-)

Deleted. Without second thoughts.

It's funny how soon my preferences change, within a matter of weeks, no less...

Before you start wondering what on earth I am talking about, I read the Twilight series a couple of months back. Understandably, I was completely smitten; rolled up my sleeves and started writing a post extolling all the reasons why the series was a must-read. I never got to completing that post; maybe just a para or two, before I just saved the draft and moved on. Now, this happened maybe a month back. A few minutes ago, I was cleaning up my drafts, and I did not even think twice before selecting that particular post and clicking on the Delete button. Not even a tinge of regret that something which I liked so much, prodded so many people into reading, was pushed so far back into the recesses of my mind that I do not even feel anything for it anymore.

What does this mean, I wonder? This sudden change in likes and dislikes? Does this happen to any of you? This soon, I mean.

Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol - Completely lost

Barring Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown has delivered fairly unimpressive work. Couldn't say no to The Lost Symbol after it was literally handed to me on a platter - my cousin had it lying around the house when I went visiting over the weekend. Though painfully lengthy, the book got off to a good start. Suspense built up after 50-odd pages, and I started reading it in earnest. After all, the book starred Robert Langdon, and gotta admit, I find such historical suspenses set in modern times interesting.

The story begins with Prof. Langdon being called to Washington D.C., apparently by his good friend and mentor, Peter Solomon. What starts as an innocent invitation to give a lecture soon turns into a nightmare, with Peter Solomon's severed hand greeting our friend Robert Langdon in the lecture room. Yeah, spooky. A series of horrifying events follow, with Peter's sis Katherine Solomon also in the fray, and a weird, bald, tattooed man (animal is the only word for him) trying his best to kill everybody in sight.

What made me want to hurl the book at a wall towards the end was its glaring plot; maybe, if it were your first book, you might not be able to guess it, but the answer stares at you right in the face. Dan Brown obviously thought of his readers as fools. It's also a damn weak plot; hard to believe so much stuff was done, so many people were killed, for such a stupid reason. There is no feel-good factor once you reach the end; just a slight headache coupled with painful eyes, like in my case.

My Book Blog

Wow, I'd completely forgotten that I had this page! Now that I'm blogging regularly on my other blogger ID http://www.ashatampa.blogspot.com/, I shall use this page strictly for books. Anything, and everything I can write on books will be published on this page. Will come back soon, folks! In the mean time, happy reading! :-)