The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo

I feel like I might be a little behind everyone else on this, but if you are like me and haven't gotten around to reading "The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo" by Steig Larsson, don't put it off any longer.  I finished it last night and ran out today to buy the next one.  It was a fantastic read and one that you will not be able to put down.  It is perfect for the airplane.  You will be so engrossed you will most likely forget you are even flying.  The characters are fabulous, the story is totally engrossing and I became obsessed with reading for 4 days.  Literally.

The story focuses on a financial journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who likes to report on the corruption in the financial world.  This last investigation put him on the wrong end of a libel case.  It does however lead him to get hired by Henrik Vanger to discover who murdered his niece some 40 years ago.  He is introduced to the heroin, Lisbeth Salander and together they uncover much more than they could ever have imagined.  The tale is riveting and disturbing and will leave you hungry for more.  Good thing there are two more books for you to sink your teeth into.  It will not disappoint.  It actually surpassed all my expectations.  I highly recommend you put this next on your reading list.

Cleopatra, Stacy Schiff

Stacy Schiff’s biography of Cleopatra deserves all the hype it is getting.  Extremely well written, especially given the lack of information we have about various parts of her life and unbelievably engaging.  If you like history, you will like this book.  

I realized after reading it, that I really didn’t know very much about her life.  She was a fascinating woman.  She was incredibly smart, resourceful and ran her country better than most before her.  It is not a quick, blow through this on the beach read.  However, if you are taking a vacation and just like to read a little every night before you go to bed, take this book.  If you are going to either Egypt or Rome, read this before you go.  It just makes walking through the Forum a little more interesting.

When I went to Rome I saw 12 of the 15 Obelisks that there are in the world.  After reading Cleopatra it is more clear to me when they came to Rome and why.  I am sure that the next time I go back to Rome I will see a little more of the Egyptian influence. Shiff has written a  fantastic book that will make you see Cleopatra in a whole different light than we normally see her in from any of the films or plays that have been written about her.    

I have one warning:  this book may cause a serious desire to travel to Egypt.  I have always wanted to visit and see the pyramids, now I want to go to Alexandria and see some of the rest.  Although most of Cleopatra’s Alexandria is no longer there, it still would be amazing to travel and see where all this took place.   I will definitely wait until things settle down there, but I think Egypt is now in my top 10. 

Pillars of the Earth

I love history and I love historical fiction.  When I go to Europe I love visiting huge cathedrals and castles built centuries ago.  I now appreciate these beautiful pieces of architecture even more after reading “Pillars of the Earth”, by Ken Follet.  If you like historical fiction you will want to add this to the top of your reading list.  That said, “Pillars of the Earth” is a huge book.  There is no getting around it.  If you are thinking about taking it on vacation you will absolutely want to have a Kindle a Nook or an ipad.  Or check an extra bag because it just might be heavier than your suitcase.   I read all 1100 pages in a week.   I couldn't put it down.  One of my friends asked me if I was carrying around the bible.  But I didn't want to miss any opportunity to read a few pages.

The story takes you back to 1123 where we follow the stories of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge who has the dream of building the greatest Gothic Cathedral of all time, Tom who is the mason who becomes his architect and Lady Aliena, the woman who holds a shameful secret.  This is an epic novel that will follow their lives and hold you spellbound for the duration.  Then when you finish that you can move on to the sequel, “World Without End” which will take you 200 years into the future to this same town of Knightsbridge to see the future of this cathedral and the town’s inhabitants.  If you like historical fiction at all, GO GET THIS BOOK.  Oprah said it first and I have to reiterate, this is an amazing book!  It will not disappoint.

"The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise"

Did you know that The Beefeaters who guard the Tower of London are obligated to live within its walls?  I didn’t.  Not until I read Julia Stewart’s new novel “The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise”.  

The story’s main character is Balthazar, one of the Beefeaters, and not only has his wife left him, the Queen of England has decided to leave him in charge of the new Menagerie at the Tower, and his 181 year-old pet tortoise has run away.  The characters are charming and the story is really delightful.  It is a tale of things lost and things found, of love and the pursuit of happiness and all within the day-to-day life of a being a Beefeater.   It is a book that is clever, funny and poignant and you will not want to put it down.  

Another great vacation book

“The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” is as delightful as it is intelligent, and a wonderful book to have with you on vacation.  

Alan Bradley’s debut mystery novel centers around the character of Flavia de Luce, an 11-year-old girl with a passion for poisons.   The story takes place in the 1950’s in England where we meet up with Flavia who has a gift for chemistry and a knack for solving crimes.  Mr. Bradley’s has done a wonderful job of keeping the perspective of a precocious 11-year-old while entertaining the reader of any age.  This is not a young adults book.  Don’t be fooled.  Flavia is full of the wit of an 11-year old going on 40 and will capture your heart from page one.  Winner of several awards for best first novel, including the Macavity and Barry awards, it is a great book that will have you coming back for more.  The twists and turns will keep you guessing to the very last.  His second in the series, The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag is equally as delightful, and the 3^rd in the series is due out in hardcover February 2011.