A Hornet's Nest and a Giantess

First things first: I never posted my May summary. This is extra-sad because it is such a short list; I spent most of May reading old journals and letters I found in the attic instead of "real" (i.e. published) books. Of course, I learned that my great-great-grandfather left his family after spending time in the penitentiary; that my grandmother's father died (according to his mother-in-law) because he ate so much he didn't leave any room for his heart; and that three Emerson women--Hannah, Elizabeth, and Martha--were quite infamous in the 1690s--for murder, whoredom, and witchcraft, respectively. But enough of that; here's my May list, which brought by 2010 total to 34:

1. Rubber Houses by Ellen Yeomans
2. Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
3. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

This month, I have been so busy reading that I haven't had time to blog!

Last week I finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson. As ever, Larsson writes brilliantly, and Salander is fascinating. I did struggle with how easily Blomkvist falls into bed with...well, anyone who comes his way, and everyone seems to just accept this about him (including the other women who have shared his bed!). In all, though, it was a quite satisfying read, and a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy. I'm only sad that Larsson did not survive to write much more.

Late last night I finished reading The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker. It was a slow starter, but once I lost myself in Aberdeen it was sure hard to leave! Truly was such a big baby that her mother died in childbirth, but not before she murmured her last word--"truly"--which the doctor took to be the baby's name. Poor little Truly has a great big problem: her pituitary gland never tells her to stop growing, and grow she does! She faces all kinds of struggles, not just because of her size, but also because of her mother's death, her father's alcoholism (and death 12 years later), her contrast against her china doll-like sister, Serena Jane, and...well, nothing is ever easy for Truly Plaice. When her sister disappears and she moves in to care for her young nephew, Truly discovers a magical secret in an antique quilt...Oh, it was a book. Along with being a plain old good book, it's an interesting exploration of gender identity and stereotypes.

What to read next?! It's always hard to follow such a good book. I have a great big pile from which to pick, though, so it shouldn't be too hard!