Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh

I needed a book and didn't have one, so The Husband picked one off the shelf for me - Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh. Apparently this one is one of his faves. I started it on 12/2/18 and finished on 12/25/18.

Another interesting read. This is the true story of Sudhir Venkatesh and his becoming a gang leader for a day in Chicago. Sudhir was a sociologist student who ends up befriending a gang leader in one of Chicago's notorious housing projects.

Sudhir spends a lot of time with the gang leader, JT, and comes to have unprecedented freedom and access to people in these housing projects due to JT's protection. Sudhir learns about the inner politics and workings of the projects and gangs and how they help (and hurt) the communities.

One day, Sudhir is given the reigns of the gang and becomes a gang leader for a day and realizes how it's quite difficult.

It was a pretty fascinating read shedding light onto a way of life that is completely foreign to me. If you are looking for first-hand insight into a completely different world, give this a read.

Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth

The Husband and I saw the movie of the same title and I decided I wanted to read the book.  We were dumbfounded and entertained at the same time by the film.  The main actor, John David Washington, brought such swagger to the role.  We couldn't help but think - how did this even really happen.  Well - the book rings a lot of truth compared to the book by Ron Stallworth.  I started this book on November 24 and finished it on December 1.

This is the true story of the first African-American member of the Colorado Springs police department, and how he basically singlehandedly infiltrated the local (and to some extent, national) chapter of the KKK.  With the help of some of his colleagues in the force, Stallworth gathered evidence of the events and practices of the local chapter and even befriended Mr. Duke himself. 

It seems too fantastic and funny (in a horrifying way) to really be true.  But it is.  The movie was entertaining as was the book.  I'm not sure if it benefitted me to see the movie first and then imagine John David Washington and his mannerisms while reading the book, or if it would have been better to read the book first.  Regardless, I liked the book, I liked learning history in an entertaining way, and I would recommend it to others.

Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold

So, after finishing the Widow Clicqout on November 1, I started Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold on November 6 and finished it on November 24.  The husband and I saw the film Free Solo and learned that Alex, the subject of the film, had also written a book, so immediately we requested it from our local library (shoutout to the library!).  

If you don't know who Alex is or what free soloing is, they will both blow your mind.  Free soloing is rock climbing with NO ROPE.  Yes - you have no protection or aid to prevent you from falling to your death.  Alex is a free solo climber and among many other things he's climbed without ropes, he climbed El Capitan in Yosemite... without a rope.  Up he scurried, up up up, about 3,000 feet he climbed by himself and without a rope, and in under 4 hours.

Talk about the cohones on this guy.  The book, Alone on the Wall, is co-written by David Roberts, and in it Alex talks about his experiences with free soloing, what drives him, what motivates him, and you get glimpses into the impacts this has on others in his life from interviews and commentary provided by those people talking to David Roberts.

Alex is a very unique individual with a somewhat warped perspective of his climbing.  In the film, as in the book, Alex discusses risk at length.  He admits that he does see his climbing as risky, but he does everything that he can to mitigate and solve for the risk factors.  Mostly by lots and lots of practice and memorization of the route so that he is as prepared as he can possibly be to achieve the climb without a rope or any other kind of protection.

Free soloing is not the only type of climbing he does, but it seems to be what he enjoys most - being alone on the wall.

I'm not really a rock climber at all.  I've spent a tiny amount of time on indoor rock climbing walls and it's fun and all, but I'm not sure I would ever want to do even the smallest of climbs without a rope.

There's a line in the film where Alex (I think, or it could be Tommy Caldwell) says "everyone who has made free soloing a part of their life is dead now."  Can you imagine having a calling in life that could possibly kill you?  This is how Alex lives.  Even if you're not a rock climber, this book will entertain and probably make you shake your head in disbelief, and think to yourself, or possibly exclaim out loud, "This guy is fucking insane."

The Widow Clicquot by Tilar Mazzeo

After finishing (and loving) The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith on October 27, I started The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It by Tilar Mazzeo on October 28 finishing on November 1.  

I love reading on vacation.  The uninterrupted time to just read, nap, and read some more is marvelous.  This vacation was to Maui - 4 nights and 5 days in paradise.  If you need a place to stay, check out the Andaz Maui - it was HEAVENLY - seriously, we didn't want to leave.  It was perfection.

Not surprisingly, this book is about Veuve Clicquot champagne and the woman behind this empire.  I had no idea that this champagne has been around since the French Revolution.  Well - Veuve Clicquot hasn't been around that long, but Barbe-Nicole, the woman who is Veuve Clicquot has been around since then.  Barbe-Nicole was born into a wealthy textile family in the Champagne region of France.  She married the son of a wealthy textile company and aspiring wine-maker.  Her husband met an untimely death, and the new widow, Barbe-Nicole, with her newfound freedom to take control of her life and run a business, gambled, lost, gambled, won, and gambled and lost and won some more to make Veuve Clicquot the champagne brand we all know (and love) today.

It was very uncommon in the 1800s for a woman to be able to work, let alone, run a business at all.  Being a widow, Barbe-Nicole was in the unique position to have the freedom that married and unmarried women didn't have to do this.  This book is about the amazing story of how her champagne empire came to be.

The book started slowly and sort of reads like a history doctoral thesis paper and the timeline jumps around a little, but once I was maybe 100 pages into the book, I really started to get in to it and into Barbe-Nicole's story.

Here's an excerpt from a letter Barbe-Nicole wrote her great-granddaughter in the mid-1860s:

"I am going to tell you a secret... You more than anyone resemble me, you who have such audacity.  It is a precious quality that has been very useful to me in the course of my long life... to dare things before others... I am called today the Grand Lady of Champagne!  Look around you, this château, these unfaltering hills, I can be bolder than you realize.  This world is in perpetual motion, and we must invent the things of tomorrow.  One must go before others, be determined and exacting, and let your intelligence direct your life.  Act with audacity.  Perhaps you too will be famous... !!"

If you like history, if you like champagne, if you like reading about strong, audacious women (and need a little inspiration), read this book!

The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith

After finishing The Push on October 12, I had a few days with Chernow's Hamilton again (still not nearly done yet) and started The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith on October 18 finishing on October 27.

This is follows Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter from 2011.  While I loved the book, the movie wasn't so hot - total bummer.  The Last American Vampire picks up with Henry Sturges, the vampire who was friends with Lincoln, and tells the tale of his (Henry's) history throughout history - he's over 300 years old, after all.

This book was satisfyingly entertaining and funny and thought-provoking in a purely fictional way.  It was absurd, yet I couldn't put it down.  So many historical figures come into the book:  Teddy Roosevelt, Virginia Dare, Howard Hughes, J.P. Morgan, Mark Twain, Nikola Tesla, Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and more.

I really liked how these historical people and happenings were re-imagined to include vampires.  There are photos through the book also re-imagined to include vampires in them.

Clearly, Seth Grahame-Smith has an active and vivid imagination and can tell a great story.  If you like history and you like vampire stories - pick this up - it's so good!  The Husband just finished it and loved it too.

The Push by Tommy Caldwell

After finishing A Wanted Man on September 16, I had a few days to get back to Chernow's Hamilton.  Then when it was our turn for The Push by Tommy Caldwell from the library, I gladly put Hamilton down again and started this on September 28 finishing on October 12.  The Husband read it immediately after me.

I'll preface this with this fact: I love reading books about mountain climbing.  I don't particularly like climbing mountains.  I'm not certain what it is that I find so utterly alluring about mountain climbing books, but they are fascinating to me.

The Husband and I saw a movie called "The Dawn Wall" on September 19th.  This is the documentary of Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson's first ascent of the Dawn Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite.  In addition to books about climbing mountains, I also really enjoy movies about climbing mountains.  I personally don't like to climb mountains.  I've spent a few hours (total) in indoor climbing gyms, and it is fun.  But I really don't have a desire to go out and climb an actual mountain.  I like seeing mountains and appreciate their sheer beauty, but I don't have the desire to climb one.  If you haven't seen it or even heard about it - watch the trailer.  I guarantee you'll want to see the movie.

At the end of the movie, after the credits roll, Tommy came onscreen and talked about his book, The Push.  Of course, The Husband and I really wanted to read it.  It duplicates a lot of what is in the movie but in much more detail.  As with other climbing books I've read, climbers all seem to have this fire and drive within themselves, an obsession, to be on the mountain constantly pushing themselves for more.  As Tommy said, "We are capable of so much more than we can imagine."

It's true.  I think that is part of what I enjoy about reading these books - I get to meet (through their words) people who accomplish such amazing feats - more amazing than even they (sometimes) can imagine.  It's about challenge and living up to and through the challenge.  It inspires me to live up to the challenges in my life.  They may not actually be mountains made of rock and dirt, but they are mountains (or hills) nonetheless.  I love tales about overcoming obstacles.  The Push certainly illustrates that Tommy Caldwell has overcome more than his fair share of obstacles, and he's not nearly done yet.

See the movie and read this book.  They are amazing and inspiring.

A Wanted Man by Lee Child

After finishing Relic on September 6, I picked up A Wanted Man by Lee Child.  I started this on September 7 (happy birthday to my brother) and finished it on September 16.

Oh, Lee Child, you do know how to spin an addicting and entertaining book.  This is another in the Jack Reacher series from Lee Child, and like the others, does not disappoint.

Also like the others, we meet Jack Reacher in the middle of nowhere hitching a ride.  This ride, like some of the others, begins a hellish, nightmarish, and twisty few days for Reacher and others.

There was a murder in a small town, and the FBI have been called in (among others) to figure out what happened.  Reacher gets picked up on the highway and becomes wrapped up in the situation.

As always, Reacher's keen eye and cop's mentality help him figure things out.  Also as usual, his military experience and contacts help him out, as does his mental and physical toughness.

There were some twists and turns I didn't anticipate, including the fact that this is one of the few novels (spoiler alert) in which Reacher doesn't get the girl.

These are entertaining books, quick reads, and I always like them.  If you need some mind candy (what I call quick, easy, entertaining books), you can give this series a try.  Unlike some other series books, I don't think it is super important to read these in order.

Relic by Alan Dean Foster

After finishing The Spider Woman's Daughter on August 19, I picked up Relic by Alan Dean Foster.  The Husband read this book first and then I decided to give it a spin.  I started it on September 3 and finished it on September 6 - another quick read.

This is neither a cop book nor a spy book.  It is a book about the last living human in all of space.  Ruslan, a human, is the last human.  He was picked up by a race of aliens known as the Myssari and lives happily among them.  He's known to the Myssari as a relic - because that's what he is - a relic - one of a kind - the last human.

The Myssari are determined not to let homo sapiens go extinct and with or without Ruslan's cooperation, they are going to resurrect the human race.  Somehow, Ruslan agrees to cooperate in exchange for the Myssari's help in locating Earth.  Though Ruslan wasn't born there, has never been there, and no one and no reference can point to where Earth is, he wants to see the human homeland.  Thus begins the fantastical story of how a human, aided by aliens, begin the search for Earth, and their quest to resurrect the human race.

I don't want to give too much away here so I won't.  However, as I was reading this book, there were so many parallels to the now-defunct TV show "Last Man on Earth."  Can you imagine being the last human, the only human, the sole survivor?  It boggles my mind, but I guess it shouldn't.  So many things - plants and animals - have gone extinct already, why can't humans too?  And, it seems fantastical to imagine alien life out there - but hey - we humans exist, so why can't life on other planets exist too?  These are questions for another day.

This book was extremely entertaining and easy to read (hey - I finished it 4 days).  If you liked The Martian, or the TV show "Last Man on Earth", you'll probably like this book.

Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman

After finishing How to be Champion on August 19, once again, I borrowed another book from my parents.  This time, Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman.  I started this on August 20 and finished it 9 days later on August 29th.  Quick read!

Anne Hillerman is the daughter of author Tony Hillerman, and apparently picked up her series where her father's left off carrying on with two of his characters, Leaphorn and Chee.

This is another cop series - this time with Navajo Nation police along with the FBI.  This is the first in the series, and I'll definitely read more.

This book is centered around Bernadette Manuelito, a police officer with the Navajo Nation police, and she is an eye witness to a shooting of a fellow officer.  The book follows Bernadette and her police officer husband investigate the case of their fellow officer's shooting.  This book is infused with traditional policework and investigation, but also with cultural sites and rituals belonging to the Navajo Nation.

One of the places mentioned throughout the book is a town called Shiprock.  As a kid, one summer we camped throughout the Southwest - into Monument Valley, the 4 Corners, Durango, Farmington, Mesa Verde, and even passed through Shiprock, New Mexico.  I always like it when I have a real-life reference to places mentioned in books - it enables me to really see and feel the book.

This was an entertaining, suspenseful, good read.  If you like serial books with strong characters, and cops, give this a read.

How to be Champion by Sarah Millican

After finishing The Crossing by Michael Connelly, I started How to be Champion by Sarah Millican.  I started this on July 7 and finished it on August 19.  This little comedic gem is courtesy of the finished book pile at my parents' house.  There are all kinds of super random books in the perma-pile at their house.

My step-mother, Sally, mentioned that this was pretty funny, and seeing how I had just finished my other book, and was book-less on this trip, I decided that this looked like the most interesting book in the pile at that time, so gave it a go.  I hadn't heard of her prior to picking up this book.

This book took a little longer to read than I thought it would, but it was really funny.  Sarah Millican is a comedian.  She's really funny.  She cusses a lot in her book, and doesn't shy away from talking about gross things (poop, periods).  At times, I found myself laughing out loud from what she wrote - it was usually about pooping / farting.  This is more than just a comedy book - it's kind of an autobiography and a self-help book all in one.  With each chapter, Milican gives us tips on how to be "Champion".  What, exactly, is Champion - you'll have to read the book, but you can also watch this little snippet.

If you can make sense of British vocabulary, like to laugh, are ok with raunchy humor, aren't afraid of empowered women, and could use a little self-help, you'll probably like this book.

The Crossing by Michael Connelly

After finishing Enemy of the State by Kyle Mills on June 3, I picked up The Crossing by Michael Connelly.  I started this gem on June 24th and finished it on July 4.  This is another of Connelly's Harry Bosch novels, and one of just a few that include Micky Haller (aka The Lincoln Lawyer).

As with spy novels, I love Connelly's Bosch series of books.  Bosh isn't a spy, he's a detective with the LAPD.  So, I guess I love cop novels too.  They are well-written, have a foundation in reality (Connelly uses real places in Southern California), are extremely entertaining, and they are easy to read.  Like with the Mitch Rapp books, these books, especially near their end, do the exact opposite of what I use nighttime reading for - these rile me up and make me stay up way past when I should in order to finish them and see what happens.

This book has Harry, now retired from the LAPD, bamboozled into helping his half brother, Micky Haller, with a case he's working on.  Generally Harry does not work with defense attorneys on cases, but somehow Micky entices Harry to want to learn more about the case.  And, as all of the previous Harry Bosch novels show us, when Harry's interest is piqued, he's in.  That's precisely what happens here and how he ends up working with a defense attorney.  Of course Harry relies on some help inside the LAPD for his investigation into the murder of a woman allegedly by Haller's client.

I'm from Southern California so it is easy for me to imagine the sights and sounds as Connelly writes them.  This helps make the book more vivid and real in my imagination.  Connelly's books are always entertaining, interesting, and thrilling to read.  I've never been disappointed, and keep coming back for more.

Enemy of the State by Kyle Mills

After finishing The Last Unicorn on May 15, I started Enemy of the State by Kyle Mills on May 24 and finished it on June 3.  This is the 3rd book by Kyle Mills in the Mitch Rapp series, originally written by Vince Flynn.  The series is now written by Kyle Mills since Flynn's passing.  I've read the other 2 books by Mills and have enjoyed them both:  The Survivor, and Order to Kill.

I love a good spy novel, and I have loved every Mitch Rapp novel so far.  Enemy of the State did not disappoint.  This book finds Mitch going rogue and operating outside the CIA to find and destroy an enemy of the state (hence the title).  Mills brings in some characters, both friend and foe, Rapp works with on this rogue operation.

While outlandish, the escapades and capers that unfold in this novel really do have a foundation in reality.  I love the action and the drama that unfold in this book.  I find myself really able to visualize the details as Mills (and Flynn before him) paint elaborate and vivid pictures with their words.  I usually read before bed to clear my mind and wind down.  But Mitch Rapp books sort of do the opposite - I get riled up and anxious to see what happens next.

If you like spy thrillers, you'll like this book.  I'd recommend reading the books either in publication order or chronological order - either will work.  It is definitely best to read the books in either of those two orders as there is so much character development and relevant information in previous books that you may be lost a little if you read them out of order.  Two thumbs up for me!

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

The Husband was VERY excited for this book for me...  He read an article about it and requested it from the library for me as a surprise.  It took a few weeks to arrive - there was only 1 copy at our public library - but when he presented it to me, he had the biggest smile on his face.  I cracked this open on May 10th and finished it on the 15th.

For me, this wasn't like the typical books that I read - this was a graphic novel.  Apparently this was a normal book and a movie back in the 1980s, but I wasn't familiar with it.  Then it was made into a graphic novel - published in 2011.

This is the story of a beautiful unicorn who is the last unicorn (hence the title).  This unicorn leaves her unicorn forest in search of the other unicorns.

The unicorn runs into some trouble along the way, meets a young magician, comes into the company of a young girl, and begins a quest to find the giant red bull in a faraway castle.

So - I've never really been interested in graphic novels or comic books, or other literature in this genre.  I find them difficult to read - I don't know which bubble to read first and in what order.  I find the illustrations to be beautiful but also distracting.  I never really know where to look.  Do you read the bubbles first or look at the illustrations?  How can you take a whole book and condense it down into a graphic novel with maybe 1/4 of the words?  How much is lost in translation?

I found this book difficult to follow and difficult to get invested in.  Generally when I start a book I feel the need to finish it.  There are maybe only 3-5 books that I started and didn't finish.  Because The Husband was so excited about this one, I felt I needed to finish it and I also wanted to see if I would like it.  It was interesting and the illustrations were beautiful, but I don't think I'll be venturing back into the graphic genre again anytime soon.

Does it Fart? The Definitive Field Guide to Animal Flatulence by Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti

Still suffering from reading irregularity.  The Husband told me about this book and it sounded so funny and absurd that we had to get it (translation, he ordered it from Amazon).  I started reading this on April 22 and finished it on April 28.  This book is HILARIOUS.  If you love animals (I do), and/or love or hate farts, this is the next read for you!

Now - Does it Fart? may seem to some like a novelty book that you find at Urban Outfitters or Paper Source - something kitschy and fun to have around, but lo and behold - there is real science and substance in this book!  It is kitschy and fun to have around, but you might learn something too!  It's that useless knowledge about hind gut fermentation and animal flatulence that might help you win when you find yourself face to face with Ken Jennings on Jeopardy! or playing a heated and competitive game of Trivial Pursuit.

I was surprised about some of the animals that don't fart: parrots, sea anemone, goldfish.  I was also surprised by some animals that do fart that I didn't think would: boa constrictors, American cockroaches, beaded lacewing (yes, this is a thing).  I was even more surprised by what some animals do with their farts: one species of lacewings fart on prey - their farts are so potent to termites that they are stunned, paralyzed, and then they die.  African Wild dogs apparently get so excited after hunting and returning to the pack that they spontaneously poop and fart everywhere (and subsequently are very stinky).  Poor sea cucumbers are non-farters and have a species of pearlfish that live inside their bums - they are safe from predators in there.  While there, the pearlfish eat the gonads of the sea cucumber, which isn't as devastating as it may seem - their gonads regenerate.

So - science!  learning!  farts!  animals!  This book has it all.

I loved it.  The illustrations are hilarious - just check this one out:

If you like learning, animals, and think farts are funny - you'll like this book!  It doesn't stink.

Act 2: WWII - The Adventures of Bruce Monkman 1941-1945 by Bruce Monkman

My reading has been a little sporadic lately.  I'll pick up a book and read it, then not read for a while.  Then pick back up Hamilton (by Ron Chernow) and try to get through more of it.  These last several months have been a little irregular.  My Grandfather, Bruce Monkman, died in December.  He was 96 years old.  He lived a long and adventurous life.  He also wrote this book about his experiences during WWII.

He joined the Army (after the Navy failing to take him) when he was quite young and went to war.  He spent several years in Europe not on the war's front but in supplying the troops with things they needed.  He wasn't so far removed from the front that he was immune to shelling and danger either.  Reading his book brings a little of him back to me.

Bruce was a fantastic man - full of spirit and life and life experience.  He was a quiet man, but boy did he have stories.  About everything and nothing.  It didn't matter.  When you got him talking, his charisma oozed out of him - it was infectious.  And that comes through in this book.

It isn't a book full of blood and gore.  Sure, there are mention of those things, but more than a traditional "war story", Bruce wrote about the adventure of being in several foreign countries and about his observations and experiences in those places.  The war was a backdrop, not the main character.

There are countless stories of him being drunk and "high" (I don't think on drugs), about people he encountered in the different places his regiment stopped (Northern Africa, Italy, Germany, France), funny things that happened, hookers, townspeople, landscapes, close calls, Nazis, General Patton, President Roosevelt, girls, men, and everything in between. 

My favorite story is when he describes his intake into the Army.  Bruce had to:

"...sit in a chair, bare bottom and all, with the doctor at my side about three feet from me, who whispered quite loudly, "Can you hear me?"  Naturally I could hear him; it was just below normal talk.  I passed my hearing test with flying colors.  I'm in the Army now."

 Another funny story is about a U.S. Army run house of prostitution:

"...(a whore house).  Naturally we headed for it.  We were all young, hormones were working and this was what young studs did.  Right?  The place was originally run and owned by a local citizen with local girls to entertain.  It was now controlled by the Army medics; they inspected the girls for any problem and let the madam continue to run the operation.  The Army felt that it was safer for an operation like this than have the soldiers cruise the streets and pick up who knows what.  Anyway, this was my chance to see what life was all about as I was still a virgin.  In my simple mind doing this could enhance my idea of romance.  What a learning time...  While sitting there...awaiting my turn, a door upstairs...flew open, a nude girl came rushing out screaming, in a French accent, "too beeg, too beeg."  The soldier came out, also naked, and his private was "too beeg", but demanding to be serviced...I thought, this is not for me, can't do it, I'm not ready for such a thing.  I got up and headed for the door..."

It's not every day you get to seemingly hear your grandfather talk about whores and losing his virginity in a whorehouse in northern Africa.

This book is a great read and it also special because I know/knew the person who had these experiences.  To see and hear Bruce talking about his wartime adventures was a treat.  He would have such a smile and grin on his face.  I can't help but see that in my head when I read or look at this book.

An enthusiastic two thumbs up from me - not just because I know Bruce, but because this is an interesting first-hand account of his experience in the war.  Sadly, I don't know where you can purchase this book - it isn't on Amazon, as Bruce self-published it.

Darker by E L James

Yes, I read the 50 Shades series.  Yes, I liked it.  No, it won't win any Pulitzers (or Oscars for the movie versions).  Yes, they (books and movies) were entertaining.  They are literally like book porn.  Shit, they are book porn.  Back in July 2015, I read Grey, the 4th book in the series, and ironically, the Husband told me that a 5th book was coming out and he put me on the waiting list for it at the public library.  He won't read these books, he won't see the movies, yet, he has told me about the last 2 books that have come out...  I think he's secretly a 50 Shades fan...

Well, this book continues being raunchy, dirty, and pornographic.  It tells the next part of the story from Christian's perspective.  It was entertaining and I tore through it in 8 days - started it January 14th and finished on January 21.  I liked it.

Here's what I didn't like.  This is the telling of the story in the 2nd 50 Shades book - 50 Shades Darker (hence this book's title just Darker).  However, this book departs from the original story it is based on.  Things in this book are completely different than in the book it is derived from.

For example, Christian's sub, Leila, does pull a gun on Ana in her apartment, but it happened at a different part in the story than the original,  Leila buzzes Ana into the apartment - Ana assumed it was Kate's brother who was there already waiting for her.  Kate's brother doesn't make an appearance in the original.  When Ana leaves the apartment, in the original she walks alone through a rainy Seattle.  In this version, she leaves with Kate's brother and gets drunk.  There are many many examples of inconsistencies and flat out different scenarios in Darker than in 50 Shades Darker.

So, while entertaining, and a page turner, this was off-putting.  It was basically a different story.  Maybe this is intentional - this is supposed to be from Christian's perspective, but most of this book is revisionist history.

If you are a die hard fan of the original, this will likely be off-putting.  If you don't care that much, you'll probably like it.

Oh, and reading this, I see even more direct correlations to Twilight.

The Girl who takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz

I'm a big fan of the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series - I've read all of the books and I saw the original movies in Swedish.  I haven't actually seen the English version of the movies.  I read The Girl in the Spider's Web in September 2017 and really liked it.

I started this one on/around January 1st and finished it on January 13th.  While I generally liked this book, it, to me, seemed a bit too formulaic.  It picks up where the Spider's Web leaves off, and Lisbeth is in jail serving time for her part in the craziness from the prior book.

Of course, Mikael, Holger, and several other regular characters, make their appearance, and of course we meet some new players.

Like with the other novels, Lisbeth takes an active role in righting a wrong.  In this one, there are a few wrongs that get righted all at the hands of Lisbeth and Mikael (as per usual).  They've really turned into quite the crime-fighting duo.  Like Scooby and Shaggy, Batman and Robin, Crocket and Tubbs, Cagney & Lacey.  Lisbeth does the sketchy behind-the-scenes stuff, and Mikael puts it all together and publishes an article to bring it all to light.  This version is very entertaining, and we find out a lot more about Lisbeth's tragic childhood and the source of inspiration for her dragon tattoo.

Even in jail, Lisbeth gets access to a computer and does some work with lists of people.  She clues Mikael into something but doesn't give him too much so as not to bias him.  It's slow going for Mikael at first since he really doesn't know what's going on.  But then... he figures it out.  There were some twists and turns with twins, and a bad people, revelations, violence, and revenge.

Bottom line - this book was entertaining and went to some unexpected places.  I don't think you need to have read all of the prior books to be able to enjoy this one, but I think it certainly helps to have some background into the characters and relationships they all have.  Lisbeth is a bad-ass and I like her.  

I'd give this a medium thumbs-up probably because I wish it had a little more originality and wasn't so formulaic.  But I guess that's sort of what you get when you are reading a book in a series.