book nook: the millenium trilogy

The Millennium Series
Stieg Larsson

It's been a while since I've done a book review, but this doesn't mean I haven't been reading. Au contraire mon frere. Instead, I've read quite a number of books in the last couple of months so I actually have quite a bit of catching up to do. In anycase I thought it would be nice to kick start this book review thing again by reviewing the latest series read: the Millennium Trilogy. (This move is also strategic since this would kill 3 birds with one stone, heh.)

I wanted to read these books before watching the movie(s), so when I saw the first and second novels on a shelf at the library, I borrowed them right away. Basically the story line of the series centers around its protagonists, Lisbeth Salander (a socially awkward, kick-ass, hacker genius girl with a photographic memory) and Mikael Blomkvist (an investigative journalist and editor of a magazine named Millenium) with multiple antagonists thrown into the mix at various times. Basically in each novel there are "cases" that need to be uncovered, but while each book in the series is connected to the next, they aren't directly related to each other.

Overall, I thought Larsson did a great job of telling his story (I thought all books were written well) and even though there were some scenes that were a bit too graphic for me and others that were dark and way twisted, he kept my attention throughout the whole series. It was my first time reading novels written by a Swedish author and at times I found it hard keeping track of all the different Swedish names, but I did appreciate the various references to Ikea, haha.

If you're looking for an action-packed thriller series (and don't mind some disturbing, dark, and twisted plot lines) then this trilogy could work for you! Just don't be expecting to read light-hearted chick-lit novels when you pick these books up, because they are anything but that. :)

ginny owens | if you want me to

The pathway is broken
And the signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

No I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
So if all of these trials bring me closer to You
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When You lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'll never go alone

So when the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the sufferin' Your love put You through
And I will walk through the darkness
If You want me to

p a s s e d.

i passed the national OT certification exam!
now all i need is a job...

news!

as of today, we are officially home owners!
how did this happen? o_O

i'm done!

2 years of assignments, classes, practicums, late nights and stress up the wazoo has finally come to an end! my reward? a piece of paper that gives me the ability to add more letters behind my name.

now all that's standing in my way of actually being an OT is passing the national exam. oh, and getting a job. :P

when autumn leaves start to fall

fall is back.
i love this time of year. :)

cameron mitchell | b l a c k b i r d

i love this song and could listen to this cover forever. amazing.

book nook: the glass castle

the glass castle
jeannette walls

i finished the academic portion of my program back in june and one of the first things i did (after celebrating, of course) was to visit my local library now that i actually had time to read.

anyway, this one had been on my list of books to read for quite some time now, so i was pretty excited to see that a copy was available and it definitely did not disappoint (unlike the other book i borrowed which i started over 2 weeks ago and still haven't finished...and can't remember the name of).

the glass castle is an autobiography documenting walls' childhood and her experience of growing up in her family. i liked her style of writing: descriptive, but not overly descriptive to the point where you get lost. overall it's a good and interesting read. at times i forgot that this book wasn't fictional - the fact that it's a non-fiction is just crazy.

i ended up finishing this book in about 2 days, which is a good indication of how much i liked it. yah, i definitely recommend this one.

rainy days

this never-ending gloomy rainy weather is getting a little tiring, but i'm looking forward in anticipation of what's to come afterwards because after rain (and soggy worms) comes life in the form of bright green grass, flowers, and a new appreciation for sunshine and blue skies (can't wait!).

until then, i'll just keep listening to the sound of falling rain drops, put on my rainboots and maybe play in a puddle or two. not a bad idea at all. :)

term 6, last term.

heading back to the classroom for our final academic term tomorrow.
term 5 was by far the worst and most stressful term ever,
but thankfully it's over, i made it through,
and i'm finally starting to see the light at the end of this tunnel.

let's end on a strong note, shall we?