The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

A friend at work had told me a little about this book and at the time I wasn't interested.  I've been stuck on a mostly science fiction with a dash of fantasy and horror for my reading diet for a long time.  Plus, I've had bad experiences with books that have been translated from other languages.  I'm REALLY glad I tried this one.


The start is a little slow, but don't be thrown off by it.  It gives some of the background you'll need for the rest of the story.   If you're bothered by names of places that mean nothing to you find a map of Sweden or Google some of the places the book takes place in.  This book is well worth the extra effort.


The characters are extremely well written and I felt connected to them right away.  The plot sucks you in almost immediately and has very few slow spots.  There's a reason this book is a best seller.

Savage Season - Joe R. Lansdale

What a great book! I picked it up thinking it would be a horror story and was pleasantly surprised to find a funny, smart, action packed mystery. (sort of)

Hap and Leonard are best friends in rural Texas. Hap is a white redneck who spent time in Leavenworth as a conscientious objector and is still in love with his ex-wife. Leonard is a big, black, scary looking gay guy who raises hunting dogs and can't seem to find a good man. They spend their time working in the rose fields and sparring in Leonard's barn.

The story is great. The dialog is fast, funny and smart.

The Passage - Justin Cronin

I've got to say, this is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Cronin combined two of my favorite horror genres, vampires and the apocalypse, with a global extinction event pandemic and a savagery you rarely see outside of zombie horror. AND it's told with a believable plot and great characters. The story grabbed me from the start and didn't let go until I finished it.

The ending was a little disappointing to me until I realized this is the first book of a series. Now I can't wait for the next book.

The Strain - Guillermo Del Toro

Pretty typical vampire story. Small twists with post 9/11 concerns and pandemic virus fears.

One of the problems I have with the story is the very little explanation as to the supernatural elements of these vampires. The physical, scientific aspects are covered in depth, but the supernatural is hinted at with statements that the ancient vampires can switch bodies, have telepathic abilities and can possibly be destroyed by killing the main vampire. That part is pretty standard stuff, really, but the scientific aspects of the "disease" are such a huge focus that the supernatural doesn't seem to fit these vamps.

The story flowed well. Characters were decently built. Just don't expect anything really new.