summer reads: going old skool

i decided a few weeks ago that i wanted to read one of those easy-to-read suspense slash murder mystery slash thriller slash cop drama books - so i ended up downloading michael connelly's "the lincoln lawyer" for the kindle. i figured i should read the real thing before the movie comes in the mail via netflix - and it was exactly what i was looking for. moved pretty fast, likable main character (perfectly cast with matthew mcc, might i add...i was imagining him as the main guy the whole time i was reading), twists and turns, a little action - a great combo for a summer read.

knowing that michael connelly has been a best selling author for yeaaaaaars but never actually picking one up until "the lincoln lawyer", i decided to go for the whole shebang and i am now reading every single one of his books in the order they were published. next up?

the black echo, published in 1992...



...followed by black ice, published in 1993. all on my wonderful little kindle. did we even have the internet back in the early 90s? i can't remember.

just a heads up that i'll be off relaxing and reading at a friend of a friend's ranch for a few days. will be back soon!

recent reads

one of my favorite vacation activities is sticking my nose in a book for hours on end. here's the rundown of the books i plowed through while in charleston last week. these are just my humble opinions so please feel free to voice your own if you've ready any of these books. what are your recent reads?

below: the wedding girl by madeleine wickham (also known as sophie kinsella). easy, fast chick lit perfect for lazy days on the beach. it was over before i knew it and i only hated the main character a tiny bit (a huge feat for chick lit, i my opinion).

one thumb up, one thumb down.

below: are you there, vodka? it's me, chelsea by chelsea handler. this had me laughing out loud with every turn of the page. no great literary feat but definitely good for a few hours of entertainment. chelsea is incredibly witty and says a lot of things outloud that some of us would never dare.

two thumbs up.

below: my horizontal life by chelsea handler. this one made me giggle a few times but i didn't find it nearly as entertaining as "vodka." not to mention her stories started to overlap and [i swear i'm not a prude] i got a little grossed out now and then.

one thumb sideways, one thumb down.

below: the girl with the dragon tattoo by stieg larsson. the first 150 pages were BRUTAL but once i got used to the incredible level of detail and the pacing i started to get really into it. the second half was spellbinding to the point where i thought about it when i wasn't reading it.

two thumbs up, although that first 150 pages almost took it down a thumb.

below: the lost city of z by david grann. i love a book that teaches me something i never knew about history while fascinating me at the same time. an incredible story that's impeccably written by a journalist and makes you long for walkabouts in the amazon rain forest.

two thumbs up.