catching up on my reading

things to read this weekend/week:

i recently got the third book in the millennium trilogy from the library. the girl who kicked the hornet's nest by stieg larsson. i keep avoiding reading it, not because i won't like or because i'll be pissed there aren't any more, but because i know i will devour it in one sitting. i've been way too busy for that. i really liked the first one. the author has a very unique voice, and it is refreshing to read. the subject matter is a little crazy, lack of a better word, for my taste. the main character is deeply troubled and is hounded by her past. the plot of the first novel is as messed up as the main character. it was all a bit hard to take, and sort of questioned the standing of swedish society. the second book was fairly similar. though the bizarre plot was about the main character instead of outsiders. the third book continues along the lines of the second and let's hope that it ends satisfactorily for the main character.

i also received freedom by jonathan franzen in the mail from a friend of mine. i've read about this book several times in esquire - my magazine of choice (yes i am a woman). then i heard that oprah put it on her book club. ugh... while contemplating it in esquire, i was wary of the hype. now it's gotten out of control. "the new great american novel"... really? maybe, but it's like being the king of shit. does anyone really want to take your title away? i might like this book. but not for the reasons everyone else does. i definitely don't think that i'll be racing to the store for the corrections, which i've never read, or for the next one, whenever it comes out. and to be honest, i thought this book was by jonathan lethem, an author i do really enjoy, and plan on buying his newest book. though i also like him not for the reasons everyone else does. (i don't start with an author's most popular book.) anyways... it'll be interesting to see if the book can live up to all, if any, of its hype.