The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1) by Stieg Larsson, 480 p. 

CW: sexual violence

"Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption."--Goodreads blurb

The popularity of this book has held strong for many, many years, and I finally decided to dive in. This book really does grab you from the beginning and keep you turning the pages. There were some pretty graphic scenes in this book that aren't necessarily a surprise in a thriller novel, and add to the general unease of the story. It was well worth the commitment of the large book, but I will be giving myself a break before reading more of this series. Awards won: Barry Award for Mystery/Crime novel of the decade (2010), Macavity Award for best first mystery novel (2009), Anthony Award for best first novel (2009), Glass Key award (2006), Galaxy British book awards for crime thriller of the year (2009). 

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck - 130 pages

The Great Depression has hit hard.  Mary Alice must move down to live with Grandma Dowdel for the year as her parents have lost their apartment.  She will have to go to the small school in that hick town.  Will she survive this year?

I really enjoyed this book on audio.  The story was interesting as were the characters.  I can definitely see why it won the Newbery Award.  I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction or humorous stories.

 

Burning Sky by Lori Benton

Burning Sky by Lori Benton -- 416 pages

Willa Obenchain was kidnapped by the Mohawk tribe at a young age and given the name Burning Sky. But after she has her Mohawk family, she has come back to the English--only to find her family gone and their house empty. She also finds a wounded Scotsman, whom she feels she must help.

Now, with her Mohawk family, and her English family gone, she is struggling to find her home, while God is working, even through her hard walls of protection, to provide her with another family.

This starts off a bit confusing, but eventually explains everything. I enjoyed it.

Burning Sky won the Christy Award in 2014.