'The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest' by Stieg Larsson

I’m sure that anyone who has heard anything about the final installment in Stieg Larsson’s trilogy has heard nothing but good. And rightly so. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is a satisfying conclusion that resolves many of the complex issues that Larsson created.

When the Girl Who Played with Fire concluded, Lisbeth Salander was in a dangerous situation, physically and legally. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is the story of Lisbeth’s recovery and the investigation of her supposed crimes/offenses. Of course, Mikael Blomkvist is still Salander’s greatest advocate; he helps to track down and unravel the conspiracy that caused her to be abused and declared legally incompetent.

Stieg Larsson has posthumously proven himself to be one of the most talented suspense writers of our time. Even though Larsson died before the publication of his books, they are certainly not unfinished. All three books were delivered for publication prior to Larsson’s death, and I can’t think of anything that is missing. The trilogy is great for suspense readers, but also for those who simply enjoy a good book.

'Violation: The Life of Luisa Cannoli' by Luisa Cannoli

There are many, many quotes in existence that talk about the power of books and their ability to transport readers to unknown lands and foreign situations. This is certainly the case when it comes to Violation: The Life of Luisa Cannoli. As I read this book, I felt that I was being transported to a dark, scary place inside the mind of a crazy person with no access to a dictionary or spell check. Unfortunately, Luisa Cannoli’s intent probably wasn’t to terrify people with typos; she seems to be genuinely convinced of her soundness of mind and self-importance.

The book tells the long, drawn-out story of Luisa Cannoli’s lawsuit with an insurance company after she receives what sound like minor injuries in a car accident. After the accident, Cannoli is stalked by seemingly normal people who are actually spies from the despicable Freedom Insurance Company. Aside from these unusual, yet on-topic accusations, Cannoli also feels the need to tell the reader endless stories about childhood vacations, family investments and housing choices. She is careful to include all (and I mean ALL) information that is of even marginal importance. For example, (spoiler alert) Luisa wears brown shoes on the day of the automobile accident. Gasp!

It seems to me that the entire book is part personal memoir, part insurance lawsuit documentation. The language sounds like it was meant to be used to illustrate her personal suffering specifically for the purpose of furthering her personal injury lawsuit. Luckily, you don’t have to rely solely on my opinion of this book – it is available in the Dayton branch of library. You have to see it to believe it!