Sunday, August 15, 2010

Summer Reading- The Postmistress and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I have said it before and it bears repeating, my town library is the best thing about this small town. Seriously, it's called the Baker Free Library, the librarians are all nice book lovers who share their favorite books with patrons and there are no library fines. (Hence the free in the name) Besides the fact that there is always parking, it's a great place to hang out, since the building was remodeled about 10 years ago and it's homey and comfortable, plus, I can get any book I want due to intra-library loan in New Hampshire.  This summer, I have been going to the library about once a week due to the list of "you should read this, but it's on reserve" books that the librarians put together for me at the beginning of the summer. As the books get to my name, I get the call and the next day, I am at the library. The top two books on the list this summer, were, The Postmistress by Sarah Blake and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the first was recommended they the librarians and the second was due to me seeing the book everywhere during my travels and wondering what it was about.
Click on book to see it on Amazon.com
I just finished The Postmistress today, as I was given "strict" instructions to read it first this past Thursday when I went in to pick it up along with another recommended chick lit book. Seems there is quite a list for this book. Did I enjoy the book? Yes, I did, though after glancing through the reviews in at Amazon, I agree that I don't know why the author had to come up with a fictitious name for a town on Cape Cod, it wasn't needed. The story is about three women just prior to the United State's involvement in World War II, two live on the Cape and one is a radio correspondent in London, reporting on the air raids. The book's inside cover will tell you it's about news, two that have news and need to share it and one that doesn't want to hear it. I thought it was more about the power of truth, what you see and hear, that needs to be shown and told to people who won't listen until it's right there in front of them. It's about the horrors of war that remain unspoken because people don't have the context to understand that sometimes there is no beginning, middle and end. Just an end, with no other story. I recommend the book, not as a beach book, but just a good story.
Click on book to see it on Amazon
The next book is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson,  a very good thriller and definitely not a feel good book. Of course in the end, everyone gets what they deserve, and it's graphic. A friend told me that she couldn't get into the story, because she felt it was moving too slowly. I can see her point, however, I felt the writing was all leading me into the main event by slowly setting up the main characters' development and how they end up together solving a 30 year old crime. The book is well written and it's shame that the Larsson died young and was unable to experience the success of his books. I look forward to reading the next two books in the series.

On my shelf, I have an older,  Chris Bohjalian book to read, The Law of Similars and a couple of chick lit books. On the floor of my bedroom, I have a book that I need to return after reading only 3 chapters, I will add the title later to the post when I bring it downstairs. I am not going to finish it....why? It is a depressing book already with a whack job mother, life is too short for bad books, give me good reads like the books above and a few chicklit fluff's and I am a content reader.
Any good books from any lurking blog readers out there? My list is getting short again at the library.

3 comments:

  1. I will have to read the Postmistress now! Making a note for myself. . . I have been too busy this summer to read, it seems. . . I recommend Breakfast at Sally's by Richard LeMieux -- I met this author and heard him speak . The other ones I have read are three books by Willy Vlautin but especially his last one called lean on Pete. He is a local writer and I heard him speak at Powell's Books in Portland this past year.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so curious about The Girl with ... books and will probably break my self-imposed "no new books" rule and get it. Thanks for giving me a heads up so I know what to expect.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Enjoy it. Want to read his other two as well.
    I've been a bad blogger follower of late. Thanks for the comment. Wish I had just left it alone, dang it.

    ReplyDelete

Any thoughts or musings of your own to add?