The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

This book slowly reels you in and you are not quite sure what the story is about because there are so many layers. The original title of the book is Men Who Hate Women.  The story is gripping pulls you in with small details like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey/horse. Whatever, you know what I mean.

The best part to me is towards the end. Even after the mystery is solved there are still bigger mysteries to solve. I truly enjoy the challenge of thinking about and working through the dilemma the author poses at the end. How do you choose between two evils when your integrity is at stake and there are no clear winners?  I enjoyed how everything about the story challenges the way I think about life and the culture we live in.

The story reminds you that you have no idea what the people who live near you or that you come in contact with everyday are doing behind closed doors. What deep secrets is the person sitting next to you or standing in front of you keeping? Are you being studied or watched by some crazy stalker, rapist or killer? Please don’t feel paranoid, I don’t but I do feel aware and alert to my surroundings. This was an intense wonderful read. Oh by the way it is extremely scary how easy it is to hack into your computer. I’m not trying to scare you – LOL!

The movie does a great job illustrating the violence in the book. I wonder if the American version will be as bold and forthright.

Larson lists a few facts about women and violence in Sweden. This is the saddest one to me:  Ninety-two percent of women in Sweden who have been subjected to sexual assault have not reported the most recent violent incident to the police.

The Storyline - Harriet Vanger disappeared over 40 years ago. Her 80 year old uncle is still consumed with her disappearance and hires journalist Mikael Bloomkvist to investigate. Along the way Lisbeth Salander, a troubled young woman covered in tattoos, is hired to help him solve the puzzle. Together they uncover so much more than the disappearance of a teenage girl.

The Fat Smash Diet and extreme Fat Smash Diet by Ian K Smith, MD

I really like these 2 books but I must say if you buy one you do not need the other. Dr. Ian Smith wrote an easy and practical diet book. The recipes are easy and the meals are for everyday regular people. Everything can be found in your local supermarket. The menu is easy to follow and easy to read.

But, yes there is a But, like any diet or healthy eating plan, the plan must be followed. The individual must have discipline and NO; you can’t eat all you want and still lose weight and be healthy.

The Fat Smash Diet is a 90-day program

extreme Fat Smash Diet is a 3-week program

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

The character is based on the legend of the greatest Alchemist who owns the stone that changes all metals to gold, and can be used to make an elixir that makes the drinker immortal. In this series he is the protector of “the Book of Abraham the Mage”, the most powerful book on earth, which has the recipe for making the elixir of life, and many other powerful prophecies and magical knowledge.

The story has great historical facts about the Flamels and Dr. John Dee but I did not care for it and I am not moved to read the rest of the series. I felt it was choppy, forced and repetitive. The magical characters are not interesting and I don’t like the heroes: twins Sophie and Josh Newman who have the power to save the world. I must say young adult readers might disagree with me because the book is a New York Times best seller and has an average of 4 stars on Amazon.

A little history- The real Nicholas Flamel was born in France and lived in Paris around 1330-1418 and was married to Perenelle (an alchemist herself). He started out as a scriber and manuscript salesman but became known for his research as an alchemist devoted to finding the secrets of the Philosopher’s Stone. It is rumored that he discovered the secrets in an old copper-bound book he bought: “the Book of Abraham”.  Flamel was extremely wealthy when he died in 1418. The house he lived in still stands in Paris at 51 rue de Montmorency, and is the oldest stone house in the city. There is a street named after him near the Louvre Museum.

Meditation -101 Essential Tips by Naomi Ozaniec

This is a really clear and practical book for anyone interested in meditation. It’s an easy to follow step-by-step series. I’ve had this book for many years and it never gets old or out of date. It has great illustrations and just looking at the book makes you feel calm.