Some of the best books I've ever read is the The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and it's followup, The Girl Who Played With Fire. Author is Steig Larson. The stories and characters are so intense and real, and upon finishing them, were heartwrenching and just so full of awe. There is everything from love, family, friendship, human trust, deceit & betrayal, corrupt corporations, female abuse, social injustices, people who are "misfits" and misunderstood, morals, vengeance, the human need for truths, etc. I don't want to give anything away, nor will my summaries do them justice, but for a ballpark idea: Both books kind of involve mysteries that the characters are trying to figure out. In the first one, the niece of huge corporate owner has been missing for about 20 years and as he is getting old, is making a final attempt to find how she disappeared. He hires a journalist Mikael Blomvkist who goes through everything that had anything to do with the day the girl disappeared... while researching he meets a certain Lisbeth Salander, introverted, seemingly mentally strange and whatnot, but who is actually extremely capable and intriguing. The two of them discover some very deep and twisted family secrets in solving the mystery. In the second book, the heroine Lisbeth is framed for 3 murders, and the book delves into her mysterious past. I hope some of you guys look into these books! They are well worth the read!