#19: The Girl Who Played with Fire

Larsson, Stieg: The Girl Who Played with Fire. New York: Knopf, 2009. Print. 630 pages.
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SETTING: December 2004 to April 2005 (the years are a guess based off of the timeline from the first book and details from this book); St. Georges, Grenada and Stockholm, Sweden.
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SUMMARY: After the harrowing experience surrounding the Wennerstrom affair, Lisbeth Salander cuts off all ties and makes an attempt at creating a completely isolated life.  Things start going awry, however, when a hit is placed on her by a disgusting, sadistic man she is blackmailing (with good cause).  In the meantime, Mikael Blomkvist finds himself intertwined in a sex trafficking investigation that once again brings him into a partnership with Salander.
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "The girl lifted her coffee cup and took a sip without releasing him from her gaze.  Her eyes had no warmth at all.  He suddenly felt vaguely uneasy." - Chapter 11, page 211.
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If you'd like to read my review of the first book (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), here you go: http://artemisiaeupraxia.blogspot.com/2012/06/11-girl-with-dragon-tattoo.html.

I finally got a hold of this book thanks to one of my classmates!  YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!  I'm about four months overdue in reading the second book in this trilogy, but, to use the cliched phrase, better late than never!  I actually finished reading it about a week and a half ago, but life happened and I found myself with time to write this review today.  I read the first 200 pages in two days, and the next 430 pages on the third day.  This bit of information in itself should attest to the awesomeness of this book.  And with that spoiler (although I'm sure you've already guessed this will be a positive review), let's begin the lists!
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Things I liked about this book:

1. Kick ass female protagonist!  Lisbeth Salander is slightly more awesome (which I didn't think was even possible...) in this book, but only because you see her character grow.  You're able to follow how the events she experienced and the lessons she learned in the first book have influenced her personality, thoughts, and morals.  
2. Action packed storyline!  Well, once you reach page 201.  It's a kapow! followed by a BAM! and another BAM! and much more!
3. How easily Salander can transform into a "normal" person (i.e. society's image of a normal person: no extraneous tattoos or piercings, dresses conventionally, etc.).
4. The chapter divisions.
5. The strange way the author ties math into the story.
6. Paolo Roberto!  A former professional boxer who plays a pretty major role in the story.  The integration of this seemingly random character was pretty awesome.

Things I didn't like about this book:

1. There is no actual ending to this book.  The second and third books are really a single, continuous story.  They could have been published as one, but most people (myself included) would be intimidated by a 1200+ page novel.  Luckily my classmate gave me the third book along with the second, otherwise I would have been really upset after finishing the second one because there's isn't much closure when you reach page 630.
2. The beginning, just like the first book, is reeeeaalllyyy slow.  Which is why it took me two days to read the first 200 pages, and one day to finish off the remaining 430 pages.
3. How the bad episode/occurrence/experience in Salander's life is called "All the Evil."  The author could have created a more interesting label.

Winner of "the most annoying and horrible character" award:

1. Hans Faste, the sexist police officer working to track Salander.  SUPER annoyed me.  But with that being said, the author did an incredible job creating a horribly sexist character that you can't help but dislike.

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I enjoyed this book very much, and would have probably finished the third one by now if I didn't have to study and if I decided to be antisocial.  But I do have to study and I like being social so it may take me a while to finish the third book.  This review feels somewhat incomplete, and that's probably because the story isn't over!  After finishing the last book, I'll do a better analysis.  Promise.
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Recommend?  YES!!!

#18: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Stevenson, Robert Louis: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: AMS Press, 1974. Print. 108 pages.
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SETTING: 19th century London, England.
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SUMMARY: Confusion arises as the prominent and popular physician, Dr. Henry Jekyll, suddenly becomes reclusive and paranoid, leading his colleagues to surmise that something diabolical is amiss.  The prime culprit suspected of causing this character change is Mr. Edward Hyde, Dr. Jekyll's strange and mysterious beneficiary to all his assets upon his death. 
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "Rather, as there was something abnormal and misbegotten in the very essence of the creature that now faced me - something seizing, surprising, and revolting - this fresh disparity seemed but to fit in with and to reinforce it; so that to my interest in the man's nature and character, there was added a curiosity as to his origin, his life, his fortune and status in the world." - page 422-23.
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The League of Extraordinary Men is one of my favorite movies, primarily because it brings a group of my favorite literary figures together to tell an incredibly entertaining story (Dorian Gray from The Picture of Dorian Gray, Captain Nemo from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Mina Harker from Dracula, and Tom Sawyer from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer).  Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde is another one of the main characters in this movie, so I was really excited when I saw this book was included in the three part Robert Louis Stevenson compilation I picked up at the undergraduate library on campus.  I already knew the main story line, but I was interested to see how RLS presents it.  After reading The Dynamiter, I went in with high hopes.  Were my expectations met?  READ ON!
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Things I liked about this book:

1. IT'S AN AWESOME STORY.  Awesome, awesome, awesome.  Awesome.
2. The motivation behind Dr. Jekyll's decision to create Mr. Hyde.  Possibility this next part will ruin the story for those who haven't read it, so don't continue reading this paragraph if you're willing to give this story a read!  OK, here we go: Dr. Jekyll is a very nice, well-mannered, all around good guy.  After spending his entire life living as a straight edge, he decides he is tired of the do-good lifestyle and wants to bring out his evil side.  However, he's determined to do so in a manner that will preserve the community's polished impression of him.  In comes crazy experiments to create an elixir that literally bring out the evil, an entirely separate character he names "Edward Hyde."  Although at first glance this seems like a totally mental idea, upon further reflection I realized that I can somewhat understand what drove Dr. Jekyll to become Mr. Hyde.  We all have moments where we decide to not act on a certain notion or desire because our outward persona and the impression people have of us won't match the action.  It sometimes takes a great deal of courage to let go of those inhibitions and  just act without having to consider how the action will be perceived by the greater community.  Dr. Jekyll's method of dealing with this is obviously based off of an extreme thought and goes horribly wrong, and his desire to bring out a totally evil side is crazy, but I get the core motivation that leads him to transform into Mr. Hyde. 
3. Organized really well.  Again, RLS is fantastic at presenting his stories in a methodological manner.  
4. Hyde is a completely separate person.  Jekyll can't influence Hyde's actions, and vice versa.  This total separation of character is what causes both Jekyll's and Hyde's ultimate demise.  
5. Jekyll's account of how he could feel Hyde slowly taking over.

Thing I didn't like about this book:

1. An explanation wasn't given behind why/how Jekyll picked the name "Edward Hyde" for his alternative personality.  I would have had fun reading about that.

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I enjoyed this story very much!  As you can see, there aren't many things I didn't like about this book. It's concise and to the point, without unnecessary embellishments that don't add to the overall story.  I've also come away with what I consider to be an important point: don't change your personality based off of what others think or expect, otherwise there's a huge possibility you'll go super crazy later in life, doing irrational things to soothe your regrets regarding everything you didn't do.  I can't assess if this is what RLS hoped the reader would take away after reading this story, but I think it's a good and useful point.  

On a different point, I'm ready for a different genre now, so I won't be reading the third story in the compilation.  I'm definitely glad I gave Robert Louis Stevenson's other works a try.  I'm impressed with his writing style, and will definitely give his other pieces a read when I'm again in the 19th century British literature mood, which will likely be very soon.
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Recommend?  YES!

#5a. The Happiness Trap (Revisited)

Since first reading this book 4 months ago, I've implemented many of the ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) principles and have found that I am an even happier, healthier, and productive individual.  I have a better grasp of how I should react to whatever emotion decides to cross my path on any given day, it has become habit to make every action meaningful and mindful, and I've become even more content with life.  I spent the last two days skimming through the main points of this book, and because I still think it's a fantastic resource, I've decided to advertise it a second time :]

I've been feeling somewhat burned out recently, and with this, my brain also decided to amplify other issues which weren't a big deal up until yesterday, mainly how much I miss home, my family and friends, and, most of all, my old life in Los Angeles.  I decided I needed a quick "Happiness Trap" refresher, and it's done the trick!  True, the feelings of longing for home and the familiar haven't disappeared, but I've accepted their presence and, as soon as I've posted this, will redirect my thoughts and energy to chiseling away at my ever growing mountain of school work, instead of brooding, which is what I've been doing for the past two days.

SO, if you haven't read this book, I still recommend you put in the time to do so!!!  Who couldn't use a few extra pointers on how to better lead a mindful and meaningful life?  

Here's the link to the review I wrote in May:

http://artemisiaeupraxia.blogspot.com/2012/05/5-happiness-trap.html

Happy reading!

#17: The Dynamiter

Stevenson, Robert Louis: The Dynamiter. New York: AMS Press, 1974. Print. 334 pages.
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SETTING: 19th century London, England.
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SUMMARY: Three young men, bored and broke, decide to take on the next adventure that crosses each of their paths.
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "He was younger than the others; and in a somewhat meaningless and altogether English way, he was a handsome lad." - Page 23
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As predicted, school is eating up my life.  After averaging a book a week when I was living in Los Angeles and commuting to school, this change to barely making a book a month is sad!  Of course, there's no where else I'd rather be blah blah blah, but I do miss reading often.  This book was a random pick from the undergraduate library on campus (Finally took a trip there!).  It's actually part of a three piece collection of works by Robert Louis Stevenson (RLS), so if my current literature mood stays intact, the next two reviews will be pieces by RLS as well.  Since it was my first visit to the undergrad library, I was trying to orient myself and figure out which aisles had my type of books.  I was actually hoping to find Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, but they didn't have it :(  RLS was right next door, and I remembered liking Treasure Island so I figured I'd give another one of his books a try.  
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Things I liked about this book:

1. It's super well organized.  This book is basically a collection of short stories that are intertwined.  It relates the three adventures experienced by the three male protagonists, and does so in a way that I've never seen before.  Each friend has an independent adventure, but all three adventures are connected and in a sequential order.  The second adventure ties in very neatly with the first, and the third with the first two.  RLS definitely mapped this one out well, and I'm definitely not adequately expressing how impressed I was by the organization.  Let me make another attempt: I was THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS impressed.
2. RLS collaborated with his wife to write this book!
3. The ending- the third friend marries the woman who conned the first two.  
4. Clara Luxmore, the female con artist.  She's evil and all, but that woman definitely has some skills in the art of lying and knowing exactly how to play to people's egos, especially men.

Thing I didn't like about this book:

1. Kind of slow at times.  I found my mind wandering and had to reread a few pages.

Thing I found amusing about this book:

1. RLS makes the three male protagonists really stupid and naive.  I couldn't help but feel sorry for them at times, while other moments left me shaking my head in a slow, pendular motion.

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This book was a fun read, but apart from how amazed I was by the way it was organized, it wasn't anything extraordinary.  I wasn't particularly hooked to any parts, nor were there any great cliffhangers that made me keep reading.  I'd often stop reading the book in the middle of a paragraph, and had no trouble picking up where I had left off.  But RLS is an excellent writer, so it was worth the time to read this book.
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Recommend?  Yes!  Only because I feel like you should read books by RLS.  He was good at what he did.  Also, he spent his last few years of life in Samoa, and actually put much effort into adopting Samoan culture, which speaks volumes about his personality (Yes, I sometimes pick books based on the fact that I think the author is/was awesome).

#16: Sense and Sensibility

Austen, Jane: Sense and Sensibility. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 2003. E-book. 380 pages (actual text: 340 pages). 
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SETTING: 19th century England, primarily in the southwestern county of Devonshire.
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SUMMARY: Per law in 19th century England, property and assets were inherited by the next male heir.  As such, after Mr. Dashwood's death, his home is inherited by his son from his first marriage, and his second wife and three daughters are forced to leave their comfortable home in Norfolk county for a cottage in Devonshire, many miles away.  The two elder Dashwood sisters are transformed in character as they are made to fend for themselves in this patriarchal society, while at the same time having to face the joys, sorrows, and, above all, heartbreaking disappointments that come with love.
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "Marianne was silent; it was impossible for her to say what she did not feel, however trivial the occasion; and upon Elinor, therefore, the whole task of telling lies, when politeness required it, always fell." - Part 1, Chapter 21, page 140.
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I've always been able to adapt to new situations quickly; at the same time, I hate change.  This move from the West to the East Coast has been the biggest environmental change I have had to encounter thus far in my life, and, although I'm loving it so far, it's nice to have a piece of home within reach when I have those "I MISS CALIFORNIA!!!" moments.  So, to get that sense of comfort and familiarity, I decided to re-read my third favorite Jane Austen novel (Pride and Prejudice is obviously #1, followed by Persuasion) because well read and well-loved books are a part of what makes my home.  I also haven't had time to explore the local library or the undergraduate library on campus, so paying a visit to my favorite novels may be happening until I do make the time to scout out my new literary-fix providers.  
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Things I like about this book:

1. Elinor Dashwood.  Her strong personality combines with the perfect amount of class and etiquette to create this power woman who knows what she wants.  She's able to control her emotions in horrible situations, and is the most rational and level-headed character in this book.  She deserves more than Edward Ferrars, but if a dope like him is really going to make her happy, I guess I shouldn't judge?  If I were to write a sequel to Sense and Sensibility, it would have Elinor leaving Edward for someone far more intelligent and rational, someone on her own level of awesomeness, because Edward plain ol' sucks.  See point 2 under "Things I don't like about this book" please.
2. 19TH CENTURY BRITISH LITERATURE.  My favorite!
3. The entire story line.  The beginning is as strong as the middle, which is as strong as the end.
4. It's an "and they lived happily ever after" story!  As I was discussing with my roommate earlier today, real life has provided more disappointments in the romance and love department, but fiction!  Fiction can always be relied upon to end well.  Because it's not real life.  :]

Things I don't like about this book:

1. Marianne Dashwood.  "Selfish," "irrational," and "immature" pretty much sum up her character.  I'm also grossed out by the fact that she marries someone approximately 20 years older than her.
2. Edward Ferrars.  Another selfish character who needs to man up.  Straight and simple.
3. Lucy Steele.  She is annoying.
4. How forgiving Elinor Dashwood is of Edward Ferrar's cheating love.  Perhaps I should see it as a virtue that she is so forgiving, but I don't understand how anger doesn't overshadow and beat down the need to forgive him.

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I love 19th century British romances because the heroines' lives are the complete opposite of my own life.  It's an escape from reality for me, and in a strange way, these books make me re-realize that I love life and the opportunities I have.  3 centuries ago (and even 100 years ago), women would not be able to do what I'm doing in life.  In no way do I want to assume the lifestyle women had in the 19th century, but it's fun to read about it and feed the horribly skewed perception I have of that time.   
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Recommend?  Yes!!!  Read this book, and we will be the best of friends.  Read P&P and we'll be super friends for life.