The Book Bit: July 2018 Ed.

Summer is almost over! These last few months have been jammed packed with family fun, and it all flew by in a flash. This month I perfected the art of procrastination. By the time I realized what day it was half the moth was gone and I hadn't started any of my books! Long story short, I put away three books in record timing. I don't think I've read that fast in a while. So I managed to read all three in time to post this before the end of the month, plus we did loads of traveling, and my kids require the outdoors every waking moment, apparently. I'm just gonna pat my self on the back. Now, that that's out of the way, let's get started.


"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"- Stieg Larsson

This was the book club selection, and I think we were all presently surprised that none of us had read it. It's one of those books I always meant to read, but never got around to it. Once it hit the U.S. (origins: Sweden), it was impossible to get this book. Everyone wanted it. So, after the initial dust settled they turned it into a film. Then it became impossible to get all over again. I was pleased to find it available at my library. What I was not pleased to discover was its length. Over four hundred and fifty bloody pages! I mentioned above that I put off my books, right? Which meant I was under a bit of a time crunch. *kneads throbbing temples*

But, I got it done. Let me just say this book is incredibly dense. There is a lot of backstories, history, and political nonsense. Very little of the book is dialogue. So, be prepared for that.

We start with Mikael Blomkvist, whose career as a journalist has just sunk down the crapper after his story ended in a lawsuit. Looking for redemption (and revenge) he takes an odd assignment from Henrik Vanger. He wants Mikael to "officially" write the history of the Vanger family, but in all seriousness, he wants to know what happened to his niece, Harriet, some forty years ago. She seems to have simply vanished one day. While the family has accepted her disappearance, Henrik has not.

Lisbeth Salander is twenty-four, dresses weird, has facial tattoos and body piercings and is probably the best hacker in Sweden. Her roller coaster of life crashes into Blomkvist's when he asks for her help on his assignment. While she is reluctant at first, teamwork is not her forte, without her the case would have never been solved.

This book is laced with sex, politics, deceit, cover-up stories, skeletons old and new and one big question. What happened to Harriet Vanger?

Despite its length (which I think was unnecessary), this was a good book. I liked Salander's story, and this is probably the primary reason I pushed through it. While Larsson didn't leave the ending in a cliffhanger, he did leave you wondering what will happen to Lisbeth in the future.


"Aaru"- David Meredith

I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. Meredith has created something quite interesting with this one. Everyone wonders what happens to us after death. There are tons of books about the afterlife. Instead of taking us through his version of heaven or hell, Meredith has taken us somewhere we would go as an alternative to death. Aaru is, by all appearances, a computer simulation that one is downloaded to. Everything in your brain, every thought, every feeling, the essence of your soul is mapped, calculated and virtually recreated inside Aaru. Imagine being able to wake up in the perfect world, where everything is exactly how you create it. There's no pain, no sadness, nothing could ever hurt you. And the best part? You can communicate directly with your family, your siblings, your children. This is Aaru.

Rose is sixteen and dying. With a terminal diagnosis, there is nothing to do but wait in pain and say goodbye. But when she meets the creator of Aaru, her whole life changes after death. She's no longer in pain, she can be a kid again, she can see her sister! Everything is wonderful.

Koren is Rose's younger sister and is left devastated upon her death. But when Koren sees Rose again for the first time through Aaru, everything is different. Soon, her life takes a new path as a representative of this new technology. She has to tell the world what a miracle Aaru is and how it saved Rose. Little does she know just how much her life is about to change.

Follow Koren and Rose as they navigate this new life. It brings up the question of when do we let go? When do we accept death and move on with our lives? With Aaru you would never have to do that, but is that really the answer?


"The Coincidence of Coconut Cake"- Amy E. Reichert

Reichert has popped up multiple times on my to-read lists, but it always hard to find any copies of her stuff. Her books have perfectly adorable names like "The Simplicity of Cider" and "Luck, Love, And Lemon Pie," I mean, who wouldn't want to read that! So I got the only title available at my library, and I had to wait forever for it.

Lou has opened a restaurant that is just getting on its feet, she has a fiancé, and is ready to take the leap of faith. Until she surprises him while he's fondling an intern. This day is possibly the worst of her life. Little does Lou know that while she's having a complete breakdown in her kitchen, Milwaukee's cruelest food critic is sitting in her dining room.

Al hates Milwaukee. He's merely biding his time until he can move to the big leagues in somewhere like Chicago or New York. And after he reviews "Luella's," he's sure he's gotten his ticket out. But when he meets Lou, his entire world changes. She teaches him about her beloved city. How to watch a baseball game, which museums to visit, and where to get the best food in town.
Follow these two through a ride of new love, deceit, heartbreak and all the food you could eat.

This book was excellent if you love food writing and are planning on visiting Milwaukee in the near future. The romance/heat level was not enough for me, and the whole book felt very predictable. While I enjoyed it on some levels, overall it was not my favorite book. It's suitable for light reading when you don't need to put in a lot of effort.


That's all I have for you guys this month! A big thank you to David Meredith to bringing "Aaru" into my life. Do you guys have any suggestions for me? Hope your summer has been as amazing as mine. Happy reading, everybody!