The Great Gatsby

From reading F Scott's Fitzgerald's classic masterpiece, The Great Gastby, I have gained major insight into the lifestyle of the 1920's. People liked nice clothes, fast cars, lavish parties, and not to mention good liquor. But all of these things rolled into one huge extravaganza proves that even with this luxurious lifestyle, none of it is worth living if you cannot be with the one whom you love. Jay Gatsby, man who truly goes from rags to riches, learns this lesson the hard way as he fatefully takes the blame for a murder he did not commit in order to save his loved one's reputation, only to have it thrown in his face as he is murdered and nobody even attends his funeral. This book is filled with symbolism, reoccurring themes, and life lessons no man or woman is soon to forget. Jay Gatsby lead a life of greatness, yet with whom much is given, much is expected. He threw all the lavish parties he possibly could have in his castle of a home, yet he suffers the same fate that all men do, and that fate is a death accompanied by true sorrow as all of the people who enjoyed his riches have no respects to pay at his funeral. Where he is buried by only his neighbor of three months. A truly wonderful work by a truly wonderful author of the ages.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

This NY Times bestseller and motion picture is undoubtedly one of the best international books I have yet to read. Taking place in Sweden, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo tells the story of Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate.From the vulgarity, to the violence, and the suspense, this book shows that authors can publish a book and make millions off of it even after they've been dead for almost twenty years. I read the book prior to seeing the movie and I personally believe that Steig Larsson's work provides the reader with a better imagination of what Sweden looks like and how intense a dark night in a Scandinavian winter can be. He also tells more gruesome details than what the movie has to offer. I am on the second book in the trilogy and I wold advise anyone who hasn't read these yet to join me and get to it!