Tequila & Stieg Larsson In The Margarita Moon Pie

My magic Sunday afternoon happened. Big Guy and I took the kayaks to Lincoln Lake. He fished from his fancy red Field & Stream kayak. I floated in my lime-green, bathtub like Precision Swifty, aptly named the Margarita Moon Pie, accompanied by Chihuahua-mix Tequila and my copy of Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Played With Fire. A chihuahua, however unhappy, will nap away worries about drowning. And a book, unlike a Kindle, can be read in a kayak. And this writer, Stieg Larsson, is one of my favorites. Larsson reveals himself in his writings. He supports the rights of individuals--even mentally shaky ones--to make their own choices. He values an independent press. He abhors violence against women, especially the illegal sex trade. None of these revelations is unique to Larsson. A lot of us feel the same way. But few of us have the gift to write novels that weave these beliefs into individual characters and situations. It's impossible to read a Larsson book without sludging through society's underbelly. At the same time, darkness doesn't saturate or drive his books--complex, flawed, prickly characters keep the story moving. Unfortunately, Larsson is dead. He wrote three novels and died before the first one was published. Once I read the last book of his trilogy The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, there won't be any more Larsson. But tucked away in his first novel The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo are references to other writers. My guess, and I'll find out if I'm right, is that Elizabeth George, Sue Grafton, Gellert Tamas and Ake Edwardson tell intriguing tales that include a slice of themselves in each one. From wherever Larsson is now, and I think he's one of the good souls, I hope he sees his complex characters spring to life far beyond the borders of his native Sweden. I plan to take his recommended writers out for lake floats, too. My guess is that Larsson would approve. The Margarita Moon Pie is where I read and think about what's right and Tequila naps and/or worries about all that water. No Kindles invited.
What I'm reading now:  Faithful Place by Tana French.