The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie- Bradley [Book #2]

A lovely book about a young orphaned girl Flavia growing up in a creaky old mansion in a town in which nothing much happens until a dead sparrow with a suspicious postage stamp affixed to his beak winds up at their doorstep followed by a red haired man breathing out his last breath as the eleven year old Flavia looks on determined to solve the mystery of exactly what is going on. The story is earnest, light hearted, and well written. I do wish it had been edited a bit as the history of postage stamps went on a touch too long, and the ending was drawn out longer than I would have liked, but I very much enjoyed this debut novel and will certainly keep an eye out for others Bradley writes.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo- Larsson (Book #7)

A fast-paced story about a man accused of a crime he did not do. As he waits for his prison sentence, he is given an opportunity of a lifetime: discover who killed an elderly man's niece and in exchange receive a hefty sum of money and a chance to clear his name. Little does he know how complicated his journey will be. I enjoyed this story. It is just that- a story. There is no depth or thought-provoking situations, very much like a Koonz book- fun and light but worth the read.

Portland Noir- (Book #39)

This is an anthology of dark short stories about characters residing in Portland. The Noir series take place in many cities and countries around the world. I picked this one up since I'd just come from Portland and wanted to get a flavor of the town through the eyes of certain writers. Some of the short stories are very good. My favorite was Virgo about a newspaper editor who messes with an ex by fixing her horoscope. My least favorite was by Luciana Lopez about a woman who lives in a house where a murder took place and she wants to know what happened. The stories vary in quality of writing and they are too heavily focused on stalkers told from a stalkers point of view. It got kind of old by the last story. Not a heavy thinking type of read, just okay.

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive- Alexander McCall Smith

The more I read his books the more I just fall in love with Smith. This book is no exception. This is a story about Precious Ramotswe and her ladies detective agency in Bostswana. The story follows a few mysteries that are in need of being solved [one which her husband decides he wants to spear head] but more importantly it explores these people. This is a mystery novel but more so its its an inquiry into the human condition. Into goodness, and kindness and reflection. His books are insightful and genuine. This book is also now one of my favorites by Mr. Smith.