KINDLE Review: The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl Who Played with Fire
Author: Stieg Larrson

This is officially the first book I have finished on my Kindle, which I got earlier this summer as a super early birthday present from my parents.  It could also have doubled as a "Here's a new toy because we think you're kind of depressed" present.  Either way, they are the best.

I love this thing.  It is so handy and convenient, especially since I've been doing a lot of traveling this summer and fall.  I've used it at the pool and fitness center in my complex and, most recently, have taken it to go eat solo lunches by myself to clear my mind during the work day.  My parents got me a little carrying case to go with it and it all fits right in my purse.

Next, the screen isn't like a computer screen at all which was my main hesitance in getting one anyway.  I stare at a computer screen a lot during the day and I didn't want that same feeling when I tried to read a book.  The Kindle isn't a computer screen, but rather it uses e-Ink and it's fantastic.  It literally looks like you're reading a page in a book which I love.  Plus when you're out in the sun, there's no glare so you can keep on reading.  That commercial where the guy's trying to read his iPad by the pool and can't see anything but his own reflection while the girl is reading her Kindle perfectly fine is 100% true.

This is the Kindle I have.

It has wireless built in which means you can access the Kindle store directly from the device itself to buy a new book.  I think the wireless can also do some other fancier things but I haven't learned how to do those yet.

A few drawbacks.  For me personally, buying a new book is so easy that I tend to forget that this is actual money I'm spending and not just a free download.  You link it up to an account you set up on Amazon and with one click, you have a new book in literally 3 seconds and it bills your credit card on file.  Books can range from free (usually super classics) to as high as 15.99 for longer and newer books.  I still think this is a great discount as compared to what you'd pay in stores.  A great idea would be for them to somehow come up with Kindle coupons...

Next drawback is that it doesn't have a light but they have external ones that you can hook up to the device.  Also for some reason you have to hold the on/off switch for a really long time for it to shut completely off otherwise it just goes into this sleep mode and then you don't realize it's in sleep mode so then you go to the gym or pool to use it and the battery is completely dead.  The sleep mode is hysterical though because up comes a picture of some famous dead author or some other random literary image and it's always a new one every time.

But overall, I love the Kindle.  Really love it.  So now here's my review on the book I read.

The Girl Who Played with Fire is the second book in Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy and is just as fast-paced and action-packed like the first.  This time the story focuses more on Lisbeth Salander, a bad ass 4-foot-10 expert computer hacker with a photographic memory.  I really liked the book a lot and even found myself gasping in surprise at a few twists and turns.  The story gets a little graphic at times as it deals with illegal prostitution and the abused victims so heads up on that.  Also there are a looooot of characters and all of their Swedish names tend to be really confusing.  For example, there's a Neidermann and a Neierman. Thanks Mr. Larsson. Overall though it was a great read and I definitely recommend it.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (for too many confusing characters)


Coming Up Next: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
Considering I finished The Girl Who Played with Fire while on my flight to Colorado this weekend, I very conveniently turned on the wireless and downloaded the third and final book and dove right back in.  Is this illegal on a plane? Possibly.  Was it awesome? Definitely.  I'm not putting a synopsis because all the ones that I usually jack from online give too much away.