*THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST* by Stieg Larsson

Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.
Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

*****Rate this 5/5 of course. I feel sad now that I have finished the Millenium trilogy! I will so miss Lisbeth Salander, I have literally fallen in love with her character. I am also sad that the author died after finishing these books. It would have been wonderful to continue on with his well-written, suspenseful and intriguing books!!

*THE ICE PRINCESS* by Camilla Lackberg

At the start of Läckberg's haunting U.S. debut, the first of her seven novels set in the Swedish coastal town of Fjällbacka, biographer Erica Falck returns home to sort through her deceased parents' belongings and work on her next book. But this is not the same hometown she grew up in. Summer tourists are turning the former fishing village into a thriving resort, and Erica's controlling brother-in-law is pressuring her to cash in by selling the family home. The apparent suicide of childhood friend Alexandra Wijkner contributes to Erica's grief. Once inseparable, they drifted apart before Alex's family abruptly moved away, and Erica feels compelled to write a novel about why the beautiful Alex would kill herself. Läckberg skillfully details how horrific secrets are never completely buried and how silence can kill the soul. A parallel between the town's downward spiral and the fate of one of Fjällbacka's wealthiest families adds texture. (Publishers Weekly)

*****Rate this 5/5. After reading Stieg Larsson I thought I would try another Swedish author. Ms. Lackberg is very popular in Sweden, almost like Agatha Christie, if you will. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thought I had the whole thing figured out, but I didn't! Great book.

*THE HUNGER GAMES* by Suzanne Collins

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival.

*****Rate this 5/5. While this is a book designated for young adults, I thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to read the other 2 books in the trilogy. I loved the characters, the story and the cunning strategy used by the main character Katniss. I loved it!!

*BREAKING NIGHT: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey From Homeless To Harvard" by Liz Murray

From runaway to Harvard student, Murray tells an engaging, powerfully motivational story about turning her life around after growing up the neglected child of drug addicts. When Murray was born in 1980, her former beatnik father was in jail for illegally trafficking in prescription painkillers, and her mother, a cokehead since age 13, had just barely missed losing custody of their year-old daughter, Lisa. Murray and her sister grew up in a Bronx apartment that gradually went to seed, living off government programs and whatever was left after the parents indulged their drug binges; Murray writes that drugs were the "wrecking ball" that destroyed her family-- prompting her mother's frequent institutionalization for drug-induced mental illness and leading to her parents inviting in sexual molesters. By age 15, with the help of her best friend Sam and an elusive hustler, Carlos, she took permanently to the streets, relying on friends, sadly, for shelter. With the death of her mother, her runaway world came to an end, and she began her step-by-step plan to attend an alternative high school, which eventually led to a New York Times scholarship and acceptance to Harvard. In this incredible story of true grit, Murray went from feeling like "the world was filled with people who were repulsed by me" to learning to receive the bountiful generosity of strangers who truly cared.

****Rate this a 4/5. While I appreciate the hardships and trials this young lady went through, I thought that her lengthy description of how she and her 'street' friends lived and partied could have been a bit less informative. It wasn't overtly sexual or descriptive of drug use, but more about what a friend's hairstyle, etc., was. This book is raw and descriptive in how Liz and her family lived from day to day. Her parents were not able to overcome their addictions or their lifestyles in order to raise their daughters, but the book does establish their l0ve for one another