Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran has recently been released as a movie starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock.  It is the story of nine-year-old Oskar Schell, who is trying to find the lock that fits a mysterious key, hoping when he does to find a message from his father who died in the Twin Towers on 9/11.  However, Oskar's is not the only journey we follow in this book, and none of them are easy.

Things I liked about this book:

1. Oskar.  His emotions are relatable and realistic, and he is also an endearingly quirky kid.

2. Oskar's father Thomas.  What a great dad.

3. Mr. Black, Oskar's upstairs neighbor.  I'd love to interview him!

4. Stan the doorman.

5. The ending.

I read this book because I'd heard from a couple of people how they couldn't put it down.  I LIKED it well enough, but I think I would change the title to Extremely Weird and Sort of Unsettling.  I am definitely NOT going to see the movie, but if you've read the book or seen the movie, I'd love to hear what you think.

This Just In...

Two of my very favorite authors are coming out with their latest books!

Jacqueline Winspear's newest Maisie Dobbs mystery, Elegy for Eddie, will be released on March 27th.

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith is coming out on April 3rd.

I just pre-ordered both on Amazon.com.  I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

There's nothing to match curling up with a good book when there's a repair job to be done around the house. ~Joe Ryan

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

It seemed to be everywhere I turned.  Every bookstore, every market, on every bookshelf, and now in the theaters. I couldn't avoid it any longer. But I'd heard it was rather grim and disturbing, and I don't do disturbing, as it tends to disturb my sleep.  However, when my husband's 89 year-old godmother told me what a great book it was, I decided to put on my big girl panties and deal with it!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson IS disturbing in parts, but it is also one of the most interesting, unique and well written books I've ever read.  The main character is Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who is hired to solve the disappearance of 16 year-old Harriet Vanger in 1966. He brings in  brilliant, but anti-social, tattooed and body-pierced Lisbeth Salander to assist him in the investigation. What they find is corruption and dysfunction that put Mikael in the middle of a moral dilemma. I guess you have to call it a crime mystery, but the book is woven with psychological and social commentary sub-plots that all contribute to this incredible tapestry of a story.  Plus, all the loose ends get tied up.  Loose ends are one of my pet peeves.

Read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  My only advice to you is make sure you don't have to do anything else very important before you start, because you won't be able to stop.  Also, you'll soon get used to the Swedish names and places, which were literally all foreign to me.  Finally, if you've seen the movie let me know what you thought.  I LOVE Daniel Craig, and Rooney Mara seems like an amazing actress, but again, I am a wimp when it comes to disturbing, especially on the screen.

Now on to something light and fluffy...
Mary Kay

I Bought It, I Read It, and I Won't Apologize!

I admit it, I am a sucker for all things Evanovich.  So when I saw In a Nutshell at the grocery store I only hesitated a moment before putting it in my cart.  Normally I wouldn't hesitate at all, but this book was written by Janet Evanovich AND Dorien Kelly.  Now, I swear I'm not a book snob, but it has been my experience that twice the authors does not mean twice as good.  Happily, this time that was not the case!

In a Nutshell takes place in the vacation destination of Keene's Harbor, Michigan.  Kate Appleton spent summers there as a child, and now she is desperate to turn her family's ramshackle lake cottage, the Nutshell, into a viable bed and breakfast inn.  She just needs money to do it.  She lands a job at the local micro brewery, which of course is owned by the most available bachelor in town.  And, of course, the chemistry is immediate!  But mischief is afoot in Keene's Harbor, and the only way for Kate to save her home and future is to find the culprit.

This story is full of interesting characters and a 3 legged dog.  Plus beer.  So, abandon the Tolstoy and pick up In a Nutshell.  You're brain will thank you for the break!

I agree

“Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself.” 
― George Bernard Shaw

Once Again, My Guilty Pleasure

Janet Evanovich is back with Explosive Eighteen!  I can't get enough of her books, they are just so much fun!  They really do make me laugh out loud.  Literally.  Anyway, this latest Stephanie Plum romp includes all the usual suspects.  Joe Morelli and Ranger are still hotties, Vinnie is still a weasel and the FTA's are still uncooperative. The really big news is Evanovich's first book has been made into a movie! One for the Money comes out on January 27th, starring Katherine Heigl as Stephanie and Debbie Reynolds as Grandma Mazur. I can't wait!!

I'll see you at the movies...Mary Kay