The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

My book group is reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo this month, and I had heard interesting reviews about the book (okay, review- singular. From Beth Boswell's blog). The story is about an unsolved mystery in Sweden, and the two unlikely people who are called upon to solve it: a journalist and a skinny, troubled hacker.

The first 200 pages really dragged on, I thought. But then it picked up... in a most disturbing way. There are lots of accounts of sexual abuse throughout the book, and it just felt creepy to me. True, the pages started turning faster around page 300... all the way to the end (pg. 594).

There are two other books about these characters, and I won't be reading them. They're a bit too grisly for my taste. I don't want these images in my head. The author, Stieg Larsson died recently. So three books are all you get, even if you love the story.

Well written- definitely.

Intriguing- certainly.

Creepy- Yessir.

Three stars.

Ready to Run

Last year, I had a list of goals that included all kinds of races at lots of different distances. Then on January 2, I found out I was pregnant. I scratched out all those races, and wrote instead, "Have a healthy baby." It was a good thing I adjusted my mindset, because not a month and a half later I was told I couldn't run anymore until the baby was born. It was causing complications to my pregnancy.

But now Margot is here, and I've been cleared for exercise (except for Ab work, and that will happen at six months).

So I've registered for a couple of races. So far, here's what I've got:

1. The Olympia Half Marathon on May 16th.

2. The Portland Marathon on October 10. (10/10/10)

If you're interested in running in the lovely Pacific Northwest, I'd love to have some company on these races! I'm thinking of throwing the Bolder Boulder in there over the Memorial Day weekend. Anyone up for racing in Colorado?

There is one thing I love about having friends all over the country: I've got racing buddies almost everywhere.

Here's to a great 2010 full of lots of sweat, fast races, and good times.