Book Reviews: Chanel, Dragon Tattoo

It's uneasy showing your heart to the world, so I appreciate all the sweet comments on my last post. I don't consider myself a poet by any means, but sometimes it is simply the best way to express feelings that can't be explained.

When I am not busy being depressed, I am quite the bookworm.

I just finished reading two brilliant novels, which I really hope you will check out after reading my reviews.

Enjoy!




Sometimes you're better off fantasizing about your idol, rather than actually meeting the person, because you'll be extremely disappointed.

Reading "Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinksy" by Chris Greenhalgh reminded me of that sentiment. I want to spend the rest of my life remembering Coco Chanel as the glamorous, intelligent designer who revolutionized the fashion industry, rather than the distasteful, anti-semitic woman presented in this book.

The story follows Chanel and her illicit love affair with Russian composer Igor Stravinksy. Cold, calculated, and annoyingly clingy, Chanel rips Stravinksy away from his loving family with her seductive beauty and manipulative charm. Their selfish actions hurt everyone around them and they don't care.

I'm not going to lie: the first few chapters of this book are kind of boring. Chris Greenhalgh is an excellent writer and the description throughout the book is just gorgeous. It's clear you're reading a worthwhile novel, although it starts out a bit slow. But by the time you reach the middle, you don't want to put it down. The shit hits the fan and like a car accident, you can't help but gawk in wonder.

If you're interested in the personal life of Chanel and enjoy beautifully written literature, this book is definitely for you.

Apparently I live on the moon, because I didn't discover until after reading the novel that it is already a motion picture. The movie, "Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinksy" is out in theaters right now, so I plan on going to see it soon. Because I am a nerd, however, I am going to encourage you to read the novel first, if you get the chance.




Everyone and their mom have read this book. So, of course, I had to read it as well. And why not? Word-of-mouth is how I discovered the Harry Potter series and the Da Vinci Code.

Well, apparently everyone and their mom also have this book on hold at the library. I was appalled to discover that I was 568th in line!! Since I wanted to read the book before I hit menopause, I purchased the paperback copy for eight bucks at Borders.

It was worth all eight dollars. Hell, it was worth MORE.

This action-packed mystery had my heart racing and my fingers tired from flipping pages with the speed of lightning. The Swedish novel follows investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist as he researches the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl 40 years ago. He is teamed up with a brilliant 24-year-old heroine, the tattooed, ruthless Lisbeth Salander.

I seriously was so addicted to this novel that I stayed up all night finishing it last week. There was no way I would be able to sleep without knowing what happened. The book is that awesome.

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is also a Swedish film that has already been in theaters. I plan on netflixing it when it becomes available on DVD. The American version is planning to be released next year, with Daniel Craig playing the lead role. Right now, Lisbeth has not been cast but rumors have it that several Hollywood starlets are begging for the role. Among them: Natalie Portman, Keira Knightley, Ellen Page, and Emma Watson.

Again, I highly recommend reading the book before seeing the movie!

I hope you enjoyed my reviews and that they didn't bore you too much. Haha!