So, yesterday was the official kick-off of the Keep Portland Weird festival here in Paris, which meant that I had a reading/screening in the...
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I was fortunate enough to get an ARC through Goodreads.com and am I happy I did. This is a wonderful novel told through the eyes of an Iowan family. The book covers a 30 year span and allows the reader to know the characters very well. While it would appear that there is nothing so mundane as the affairs of a rural family from middle America, this is a false stereotype. The writing is outstanding. Jean Thompson has the ability to polish true down to its core brilliance. I found myself stopping to appreciate the beauty of her thoughts and words. This is a highly recommended book.
When I finished the second book of the trilogy, The Girl Who Played With Fire, I could not wait to read the third book. I ordered my copy of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest from the U.K. where it had already been released. Was the book worth this extra effort? You bet! I read a great deal and am really excited to have found one of the most original female characters of modern literature. The third book of the Millennium series does tie up some of the loose ends from the previous two books, but a few few remain to tantalize the reader. It is such a shame that the author, Stieg Larsson, passed away taking his vision for the remaining books planned for this series with him.
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Lesley Kagen showed with Whispering in the Dark that she is able to write with an authentic young girl's voice and with Tomorrow River she proves her ability to capture the thoughts of young girls is no fluke. Shenny and her twin Woody are struggling to make sense of their mother's disappearance. This event has caused their normally kind father (to Shenny, at least) to become a mean drunk and Woody to become mute. With a child's belief that all will go back to the way it was once Mom comes home, Shenny sets off to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance. Written with warm and a strong presence of humor, this book will keep you turning pages until the very end.
There is a number of books dealing with life in Afghanistan--both fiction and non fiction. To the list of must reads in the fiction category is the book, The Swallows of Kabul. I think that if you have read Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns, this is a book you should read.
I have read many books this past decade but the Millenium series are the books that stayed with me the longest. Of the series, my favorite was the second, The Girl Who Played With Fire. The plot is good and it has the distinction of having one of the best female characters ever written. I did not think I would like this series but I found myself ordering the books from the U.K. to get the next installment early. The best thing that I can say is that I plan on rereading these books again with special anticipation for The Girl Who Played with Fire.
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Nanax2 has commented on (6) products.
The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson
Nanax2, June 3, 2011
I was fortunate enough to get an ARC through Goodreads.com and am I happy I did. This is a wonderful novel told through the eyes of an Iowan family. The book covers a 30 year span and allows the reader to know the characters very well. While it would appear that there is nothing so mundane as the affairs of a rural family from middle America, this is a false stereotype. The writing is outstanding. Jean Thompson has the ability to polish true down to its core brilliance. I found myself stopping to appreciate the beauty of her thoughts and words. This is a highly recommended book.The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (The Millennium Trilogy #3) by Stieg Larsson
Nanax2, January 6, 2011
When I finished the second book of the trilogy, The Girl Who Played With Fire, I could not wait to read the third book. I ordered my copy of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest from the U.K. where it had already been released. Was the book worth this extra effort? You bet! I read a great deal and am really excited to have found one of the most original female characters of modern literature. The third book of the Millennium series does tie up some of the loose ends from the previous two books, but a few few remain to tantalize the reader. It is such a shame that the author, Stieg Larsson, passed away taking his vision for the remaining books planned for this series with him.(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Tomorrow River by Lesley Kagen
Nanax2, July 27, 2010
Lesley Kagen showed with Whispering in the Dark that she is able to write with an authentic young girl's voice and with Tomorrow River she proves her ability to capture the thoughts of young girls is no fluke. Shenny and her twin Woody are struggling to make sense of their mother's disappearance. This event has caused their normally kind father (to Shenny, at least) to become a mean drunk and Woody to become mute. With a child's belief that all will go back to the way it was once Mom comes home, Shenny sets off to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance. Written with warm and a strong presence of humor, this book will keep you turning pages until the very end.The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra
Nanax2, February 10, 2010
There is a number of books dealing with life in Afghanistan--both fiction and non fiction. To the list of must reads in the fiction category is the book, The Swallows of Kabul. I think that if you have read Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns, this is a book you should read.The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
Nanax2, January 3, 2010
I have read many books this past decade but the Millenium series are the books that stayed with me the longest. Of the series, my favorite was the second, The Girl Who Played With Fire. The plot is good and it has the distinction of having one of the best female characters ever written. I did not think I would like this series but I found myself ordering the books from the U.K. to get the next installment early. The best thing that I can say is that I plan on rereading these books again with special anticipation for The Girl Who Played with Fire.1-5 of 6next