The Girl who Played with Fire (Stieg Larsson)

The sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is just as violent and fascinating as its predecessor. Lisbeth Salander once again squares off against the world, pitting her wits, intelligence, and kick-ass take-no-prisoners attitude against some very scary people. As usual, she has a hard time recognizing or accepting help from those who care about her, but in this story we learn some of what made her who she has become. I'm looking forward to the next book.