Fiction | Book Chatter

Blood on Snow
By Jo Nesbø
(Knopf, Hardcover, 9780385354196, April 7, 2015, 224pp.)

The Short of It:

Short, quick read but lacking in the depth and complexity that I’ve come to expect from Nesbø.

The Rest of It:

Olav Johansen has been many things and not good at any of them. He tried his hand as a pimp and failed miserably. Also failed at robbing banks, so it’s rather surprising that he’s good at his current job, which happens to be a fixer for a man named Hoffman. The only problem is that Olav’s next job happens to be “fixing” Hoffman’s wife. A bit of a problem since Olav has fallen in love with her.

If I had picked this book up without knowing who wrote it, I’d say it was a “too safe” crime novel but knowing the author and his work quite well, I have to ask the question. Why? Why write a crime novel that has absolutely no suspense whatsoever?

Nesbø is quite successful now. I think anything with his name on it is going to sell regardless of what’s on the page. So maybe he wanted to experiment a little? His decision to focus on the bad guy is a bit different, but what surprised me is that there didn’t really seem to be anyone looking for Olav except other bad guys. Zzzzz.

The book is only 224 pages long and it lacks the element of surprise. There’s no mystery. No dramatic conclusion. I suppose some might consider the ending to be dramatic but I didn’t. I just felt it lacked a pulse. As a standalone novel, it was a quick read and I can see someone grabbing this before boarding a plane but it won’t hold your attention like some of his other books.

In summary, not terribly impressed with this one. His Harry Hole books are much more complex and engaging.

Source: Sent to me by the publisher via Edelweiss
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Blue Sun, Yellow Sky
By Jamie Jo Hoang
(Jamie Hoang, Paperback, 9781634433716, April 25, 2015, 316pp.)

The Short of It:

How much does what you see, impact who you are?

The Rest of It:

This is a question I’ve asked myself over the past few months. The eye issues, the eye injury and then my fear of going blind have all played a role in my anxiety over sight. My father lost his vision at the same age I am now and it’s been a fear of mine for a very long time.

So what do I do? I accept a book for review about a young artist who is going blind. Sometimes, books find you at exactly the right point in time.

Aubrey Johnson, a talented artist, is told by her doctor that she has retinitis pigmentosa and will be blind in a mere six to eight weeks. Stunned by the diagnosis, she decides to join her old friend Jeff on a last-minute trip around the world.

Aubrey’s situation is made more complex by the fact that she’s a painter and to a painter, being able to see and being able to render colors properly on the canvas is an absolute necessity. This is why the trip is so important to her. At each destination, she attempts to recreate the scenery before her and at times, she’s terrified of the end result because as each day passes she has slightly less vision than the day before.

What’s great about this book is that it’s hopeful and not at all sad or depressing. Aubrey’s panic over losing her sight is tangible but at the same time, she tries hard to reinvent herself as an artist. It helps that she has supportive people around her and there is an increased level of appreciation for visiting a locale, knowing that you will never see that place the same way again.

I loved the trip around the word (China, India, Israel, Jordan, Brazil, Peru). Aubrey and Jeff stop to visit with old friends and slowly, Aubrey comes to the realization that all is not lost.

If I had one criticism to offer, I’d say that the ending came up a little too fast for me. I wanted to spend a little more time with Aubrey but other than that, I enjoyed the book very much. It gave me a lot to think about and reminded me to appreciate what I have. Ultimately, it’s a feel good story and we can all use a story like it once in a while.

You can buy the book for your Kindle now but the paperback comes out later this week. To learn more about Jamie Jo Hoang, visit her website! This is her first novel!

Source: Sent to me by the author.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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