The 4-Hour Workweek - Think How Much Reading Time You'd Have

A 4-hour workweek would give me plenty of free time. But is it doable? 

I'm skeptical. And although this blog focuses on fiction, I think this book is close enough.

Book Review: The Stieg Larsson Millennium Trilogy (Starting with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo)

Three Books:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Quick Video)
The Girl Who Played with Fire (Quick Video)
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest (to be released in the US on May 25, 2010)


Warning:
I am absolutely crazy about these books. I can’t even pretend to be even a little bit unbiased.

Type:
Swedish mystery, adventure

About:  
In the first book, we meet Blomkvist, our main character. He’s a journalist who loses a court battle over libel. He winds up agreeing to help an old man on an island with the mysterious disappearance of his niece that happened 30 years prior. Salander (she, with the dragon tattoo) is a computer hacking tough chick who is forced to endure some horrible stuff. She does not get a lot of “page” time, but she is a key and memorable character nonetheless.

In the second book, Blomkvist is working on an expose of the sex trafficking trade in Sweden. Salander seems to be guilty of multiple murders. Old and new crimes weave together in a complex mystery.

In the third book, Salander needs Blomkvist's help again. She is being accused of crimes and needs to prove her innocence. There are so many conspiracies and characters, it gets a little muddled, but it is the conclusion of one hell of a compelling series.

Why did I read it:
My mom lent me "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and said that I would like it. Oh yeah, she was right. First one was so good, I bought the second en route to my honeymoon in Paris and London. The third book was not out yet in the US, but I was dying to read it so much that my husband bought it online and had it imported here for me as a Christmas present.

Read it if :
-You love action, adventure and cool characters.
-You need a compelling mystery that will surprise you.
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THESE BOOKS!

Don’t read it if:   
-You are easily annoyed when an author is clearly describing himself as the main character. (Yes, it is a little gratuitous that the characters mention multiple times that Blomkvist is good in bed.)
-Too many characters and 100% believability is needed for you to enjoy a book

Cool:
A character shops at an Ikea in Sweden! For Ikea fans like me that was a neat “shout out” to the real deal.

Number of busy bees:
4.5 out of 5

Better Reviews:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
New York Times
Amazon
The Times Online (UK)

The Girl Who Played with Fire
Washington Post
New York Times
The Guardian (UK)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest
The Guardian (UK)
The Times Online (UK)

Spoiler Alert!

I am a strange bird. I like to read books with a clean slate. Many times, I will only barely scan the back cover blurb about a book for fear that it will give away too much.

I don’t like spoilers. I don’t like reading reviews of books until after I’ve read them myself. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I am easily influenced by others’ opinions, both good and bad. Although I  am an independent thinker, I can't seem to help but put others’ perspectives into account.

In putting together my review for John Irving’s The Fourth Hand, I saw some really negative reviews about the book. If I would have come across them before I started the book, they might have dissuaded me from reading it altogether. And that would have been a shame, because I really enjoyed it.

So, I will try to keep my reviews as “Spoiler Free” as possible. Though in some cases, it is very hard to do. 

LET ME KNOW: How do you feel about spoilers, reviews and book cover synopses?

Book Review: The Fourth Hand by John Irving

Type:
Humor, romance (described by USA Today as “a blend of sexual farce, journalistic satire, and tender love story”)

About: 
A charming and womanizing reporter loses his hand to a lion. A surgeon attempts a transplant and although it’s not successful, he finds the one woman who might make him complete. (Yes, I went there.)

Why did I read it: I love John Irving. The Cider House Rules is one of my all-time favorite books. I picked this one up for 50 cents at Goodwill.

Read it if :
-You like intelligent humor and imperfect love stories.
-You have an interest in what goes on “behind-the-scenes” at television news operations.

Don’t read it if:
-You are uncomfortable with sex scenes. They aren’t graphic or gratuitous, but our main character “gets around.”
-You are easily frustrated by a meandering storyline.

Cool: Takes place in the late 1990s and hits on some news stories like JFK Jr.’s death and the media frenzy surrounding it. As one who works with the media daily, I appreciated the inside look and insightful criticism.

Number of busy bees: 3.5 out of 5

Better Reviews:
New York Times

Book Reporter

CNN

The Bad News

You are busy. And I’m not sure I can help.

I am busy, too. At work, my to-do list is often multiple pages long. However, I am extremely efficient and I get work done. The same cannot be said for my “free time.”

I’ve learned to love accept my inefficiency at home. That’s why I don’t exercise nearly enough, my house is never as clean as I want it to be and when it snows I’m the last to shovel my driveway. 

As you can guess, I’m a voracious reader. I love books. I usually read about one book every two weeks, but I usually read two books at any given time. For me, they are a great escape and a fun hobby. There is a never-ending supply of books to be read and I take it as a challenge to read as many as I can.

The sad news is that there may not be a cure for busy-ness. It might be all about prioritizing, and I’m not sure that this blog can help you with that.

However, if you’ve chosen to dedicate some of your time to reading, I hope I can help you make some good decisions about the books you choose.

Tip of the Day: Read before sleep. It helps me to relax and gets my mind off of problems and into a fictional world. Try not to read more than a chapter… being up all night reading a book is not healthy.

Book Review: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Type:   
Steampunk adventure, historical imagining

About:  
Zombies! It’s the late 19^th century and Briar Wilkes and her son, Ezekial, live in Seattle just outside of a wall-enclosed zombie-filled wasteland. Ezekial goes inside to try to find out more about his father (who was the accidental creator of the wasteland) and then Briar goes in after him. Zombie-filled adventures ensue!

Why did I read it:
I’ve been intrigued by the Steampunk concept and the cover art is amazing. Plus, zombies! 

Read it if :
-You are looking for a zombie-laden gore fest set in a historical reimagining.
-You want an escape into an imaginative and creepy world with some interesting characters.  

Don’t read it if:
-You want a plot with substance that goes beyond one rescue mission.
-You’ve ever had asthma – the description of the masks needed to breath inside the toxic zombie wasteland and how the characters struggled to breath reminded me of my worst asthma attacks.

Cool:
Book also features a map of 1879 Seattle as imagined in the book. The text is a chocolate color and the pages are ivory, giving a cool antique-y vibe.

Number of busy bees:
2.5 out of 5

Better Reviews:

Boing Boing

Amazon

SF Signal

Welcome Busy Book Lovers!

This blog is an assignment for English 632, a graduate class at Northern Kentucky University.

I want to provide a fun place for book lovers to unite. Hope you like book reviews, tips and resources.

As David Letterman once said: "If you aren't busy, you are doing something wrong."