The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: A ((Swedish)) Movie Review

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Starring: Michael Nygvist and Noomi Rapace
Rated: R

I picked up this DVD on a whim; having read the book, I am really interested in the movie. I was going to wait until the American version came out later this year, but my curiosity got the better of me. So I rented the Swedish version.

While I can't say the movie was better than the novel, I can say they come pretty close. My one huge complaint about the novel was the huge amount of backstory and mumbo jumbo that I just didn't care about. The movie didn't have that- it jumped right into the story full throttle, caught my attention, and held it to the very end.

My one worry was that the movie would be confusing and hard to follow. It turns out that whoever adapted this movie from the book did an excellent job of knowing what to keep and what to discard, and the movie was easy to follow, even for someone who might not have read the book(s). My only complaint about the movie is that Erika Berger didn't play a big enough role. I know there's a lot to put in a short movie, but I feel like she's important enough to get more time on screen.

The actress who played Lisbeth was incredible; she was exactly what I pictured her to be. The actor who played Mikael was wonderful as well.

Overall: If you're a fan of TGWTDT, don't miss out on the Swedish version. Unless, of course, you have an extreme aversion to subtitles or dubbing.

NOTE: Heed the Rated R warning. This movie is SOOO not meant for young viewers.

Jane

Top Ten Authors That Deserve More Recognition

Top Ten Tuesday

TTT is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It's a lot of fun so stop by and join if you get the chance :)

Top Ten Authors That Deserve More Recognition
*Pink=female. Blue=male. Sorry guys. :)*

1. Jennifer Banash. She wrote The Elite series, which was actually a really good series about the upper class. I thought it would be very Gossip Girl-y, but I really enjoyed it. She hasn't written a fourth novel, and I'm assuming that's because the first three didn't sell as many as they should have. :(

2. Stephanie Kuehnert. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone and Ballads of Suburbia- both extremely heart-felt badass books that will make you think. Lovelovelove.

3. Celia Rees. I don't think she gets enough credit for Witch Child and Sorceress, which I absolutely adored. But I have to say the best of hers that I've read is Pirates! Everyone should read at least one of these books. [[On second thought, there are quite a few Amazon reviews for these... so I know they're popular. But they should be even more well-known.]]

4. Michael Morpurgo. Okay, okay... so he writes more middle grade, I suppose. But as far as young adult goes, Private Peaceful is an incredible book... and it seems like I'm the only one I know who has read it. And you may think, "Oh, just a stupid war book..." like I did, but you will be wayyyy wrong.

5. Jodi Lynn Anderson. Peaches. The Secrets of Peaches. Love and Peaches. True Excellence.

6. Ellen Wittlinger. Okay, so she's popular. But in everyday conversation, I have yet to find someone who has experienced the awesomeness that is Hard Love. In fact, I didn't appreciate it at all when I first read it... it took me awhile, but now I see it for how artistic and wonderful it really is.

7. Cherry Cheva. She's one that's truly missing out on the fame she deserves. First of all, her books are hilarious. They'd have to be, coming from somebody who writes for Family Guy. Second of all... they're just good. Go pick them up.

8. Jordan Sonnenblick. This guy writes such touching stories (although I must admit, I've only read one of them...) It's a miracle he's not famous like Chris Crutcher or something.

9. Melissa Walker. Violet on the Runway, and the sequels. Such a shame there's not a fourth novel. [[Btw, when you see "model" don't think "fake"- think "real" because that's what Violet is :)]] Although I'm pleased to see that she has a new novel in hardcover scheduled to publish in July. I'll definitely be picking that up.

10. Laura Wiess. I suppose she is popular, but not nearly as popular as she should be. Such a Pretty Girl was such an incredible book, and Leftovers was even better- so real, honest, and perfect.

Yeah, so I know the list isn't really the best- there are some more well-known authors, but I know that even if they are more well-known they deserve even more attention than they get.

Also, I would highly recommend these books/authors... so if you're considering buying one of them, you should DEFINITELY go for it. Also, you should click some links if you're even the slightest bit curious. I know I don't have any pictures or anything, but definitely snoop around :)

Jane

Mare's War

Mare's War
Tanita S. Davis
June 2009

Summary:

Meet Mare, a grandmother with flair and a fascinating past.

Octavia and Tali are dreading the road trip their parents are forcing them to take with their grandmother over the summer. After all, Mare isn’t your typical grandmother. She drives a red sports car, wears stiletto shoes, flippy wigs, and push-up bras, and insists that she’s too young to be called Grandma. But somewhere on the road, Octavia and Tali discover there’s more to Mare than what you see. She was once a willful teenager who escaped her less-than-perfect life in the deep South and lied about her age to join the African American battalion of the Women’s Army Corps during World War II.

Told in alternating chapters, half of which follow Mare through her experiences as a WAC member and half of which follow Mare and her granddaughters on the road in the present day, this novel introduces a larger-than-life character who will stay with readers long after they finish reading.

Review:

This was a book that I read for my Black History Month celebration, and unfortunately it was the only one I got the chance to finish. That being said, onto my review...

This book was merely okay for me. I really like the overall concept: women going off to war is not something that gets written about very often, at least in my experiences. Add to it that Mare was African American and it becomes even more of a taboo subject. I was really curious to see how her experiences turned out.

I was definitely intrigued, but I felt like the book didn't completely live up to my expectations. It was fairly predictable, and I was hoping for something to happen to prove me wrong at the end. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

Mare's War was definitely a good read, but I would have enjoyed it much more if it weren't as predictable. However, if you're looking for something with a good lesson and a really great family story, this novel is for you.

Jane

PS. Right now Amazon is selling the hardcover as a bargain book for $5.50. Good deal, I'd say. And it'd probably be worth it :)

Spring Break =]

Spring Break is Here!

Expect a review of Mare's War coming this week. And hopefully some other stuff while I'm at it.

And don't forget to enter my giveaway to win one of two copies of A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend.

Jane

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend Giveaway

Awhile ago a reader commented on my review of Will Grayson, Will Grayson and suggested that I read A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend.

I have been thinking about reading this book since it was released.

So here's an interesting little story:

There I was, waiting for my aunt's train to arrive, and I was browsing through the bargain books at the WaldenBooks in the train station. Imagine my surprise when I found A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend in the bargain bin... for $1. This was SO surprising! This book was released less than a year ago, and there is no damage to them besides some tape residue and possibly a few bends in the cover. But they are still in great shape, and should not have been sold for $1.

Initially I bought one for myself. And then I realized... they are ONLY $1!! Why not buy more and give them away or something?! So that's what I did.

So here's a random contest to celebrate my awesome bargain shopping. I have 2 copies to give away, and here are the rules:

.:: Must be 13+ to enter ::.
.:: US Only ::.
.:: Deadline April 30 ::.
**Deadline has been extended due to my non-blogging lately, and not pestering people to enter. so enter!**

Note: Following is not required, but it is veryyy much appreciated! :)

Also, spread the word! Let everyone know about this!



Happy entering,
Jane