A little late, but here are the last few books I read in 2017 in lovely 100-word parcels.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo| Stieg Larsson
This psychological thriller follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist. He is hired by the former CEO of the Vanger Corporation, Henrik Vanger, to investigate a decades-old missing persons case – that of Vanger’s neice. Blomkvist digs through their dark (and I mean dark) past, eventually gaining the help of Lisbeth Salander (with the dragon tattoo), a hacker. Originally titled ‘Men who Hate Women’ in its native Sweden, although this is a compelling read, it is really very heavy. It’s a little slow at times but the reveal and mystery are definitely worth reading it for. If you like nordic mysteries, you’ll like this.
The Children Act | Ian McEwan
High Court judge Fiona May is called upon to determine whether a 
15-year-old Jehovah’s witness should be denied a blood transfusion. This being Ian McEwan, it’s not that simple. The book follows Fiona’s personal life (and marital problems) as it becomes entangled with the boy’s life outside of the case. Ultimately this book fell short, feeling more like reading an embellished news story on a court case rather than a novel. It’s too short to allow the reader to develop affection for the characters and the time spent on the court case and determining the judgment is far too quick.
Love in the Time of Cholera | Gabriel García Márquez
Set across a period of fifty years in an unnamed Lat
in American country, this book follows Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza from a teenage love affair to her rejection of him for another man to her husband’s eventual death. Here, Florentino claims that his love for Fermina Daza is still as strong as it ever was. A romantic premise and beautifully written, but this book is not so much about love as it is about the obsession of Florentino Ariza. Depictions of ‘love’ extend to sex and it features rape as ‘love-making’ too. Achingly slow at times and highly disappointing.
Full review of Love in the Time of Cholera can be found here.
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