Double-Stacked Bookshelves

I finally got around to reading Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo after having it for a long, long time and hearing so much about it.  I have yet to see the movie--either version--but they are both in my Netflix queue and I will watch them eventually.  Regardless, here's what I thought. Tattoo brings the reader into the lives of several people; namely Michael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander.  Blomkvist, watching while his career falls into shambles, has been asked to write a family history for a well-known, aging Swedish industry tycoon, Henrik Vanger.  However, things are not what they seem.  What Vanger really wants is for Blomkvist to spend a year investigating the disappearance of his neice some forty years prior.  Through this seemingly impossible investigation, Blomkvist comes into contact with Lisbeth and the two form a rather tenuous working relationship (with some interesting perks).  Lisbeth, an accomplished ha...

I have to say that I was completely surprised by Julia London's The Secret Lover ...in a good way!  Reading the synopsis kind of left me feeling ho-hum, but it definitely didn't do the story justice.  I'll admit, the beginning of the book was rather slow, but it really picked up and I thoroughly liked the characters and how things played out.  Good deal! Lover follows Sophie Dane and her journey and re-entrance into London Society (which she adamantly wanted to avoid) after eight years of absence.  For reasons that are explained fairly early on, Sophie has been ostracized from her family and high society and has been living as a companion to an older, wealthy woman, Honorine, in France (among other places).  Soon Honorine decides that she wants to travel to London and that Sophie must accompany her.  Thus begins to harrowing journey and Sophie's not so seamless appearance back in London.  However, she soon finds herself on the receiving end of one o...

Going to be starting a quick read to catch up on my Goodreads Challenge list...I'm a few books behind.  So here's an excerpt from Julia London's The Secret Lover : "They were two scarred people, two outcasts in an imperfect world....But they were perfect for each other" (170). Sounds promising as a quick read...and unbelievable in its romanticism...joy! 

Today's teaser comes from Kathryn Stockett's The Help .  I've had this book for nearly six months now and have kept meaning to read it, but for some reason I always chose something else.  I think I was scared that the book wouldn't live up to the hype.  Thankfully it was chosen by one of my book clubs and I've had to start reading it.  So, without further ado, here's the teaser: "I cry and cry right there in front of everybody.  I look over at Minny, and she laughing.  Funny how peoples show they feelings in different ways.  I wonder what Miss Skeeter would do if she was here and it kind of makes me sad.  I know ain't nobody in town gone sign a book for her and tell her she brave.  Ain't nobody gone tell her they look after her." (467) If you haven't read The Help yet, please do so!  My review should be posted in the next day or so.  I've got about fifty pages left.  Happy Tuesday!