Review: Phantom by Jo Nesbo

Phantom by Jo Nesbo
Publisher: Random House/Knopf
Publish Date: October 2, 2012

From the jacket:

When Harry left Oslo again for Hong Kong-fleeing the traumas of life as a cop-he thought he was there for good. But then the unthinkable happened. The son of the woman he loved, lost, and still loves is arrested for murder: Oleg, the boy Harry helped raise but couldn't help deserting when he fled. Harry has come back to prove that Oleg is not a killer. Barred from rejoining the police force, he sets out on a solitary, increasingly dangerous investigation that takes him deep into the world of the most virulent drug to ever hit the streets of Oslo (and the careers of some of the city's highest officials), and into the maze of his own past, where he will find the wrenching truth that finally matters to Oleg, and to himself.


Phantom kept me guessing the whole time I read it.  I haven't read every single Jo Nesbo book, but this was one of the best books I've read from him. Complicated but coherent, the plot incorporates and develops existing characters from his previous work while incorporating new and interesting characters.  Seeing the havoc that the drug Violin brings into the streets and people of Oslo as well as his beloved Oleg.  Harry has to comes to term with the results of leaving former love Raquel & her son Oleg and wonder whether sticking around might have helped Oleg.  Each discovery he makes and clues he uncovers bring him closer to a truth he might not want.  For me, the cherry on top of this delicious novel was the ending.  I love that Jo Nesbo was willing to go there.

Review: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
ISBN: 978-1-4000-6928-6
Publisher: Random House
Published: February 2012

 Why do you do the things you do? Even our casual routines and mannerisms tend to be the result of deeply ingrained habits. In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg studies how habits both hurt and harms both humans and corporations and details how we can adjust our habits for our benefit.

Using case studies of brain trauma patients, corporate marketing techniques, and corporate renewals, Duhigg shows the ways that habits are followed whether they are beneficial or harmful to the point of loss of life. All of these studies lead to the discovery of the cue-routine-reward loop that powers our actions.  By changing one variable in the equation, we can change our harmful habits such as smoking, inactivity, or gambling into better habits like exercise, healthy eating, and responsible money handling.

By showing how you can identify your triggers and reinforce positive actions to create new habits, this book is great for creating or changing habits. This book has helped me make some changes: watching less tv, being more consistent with my running (doing a 10k in the fall), and developing better eating habits.  It's quite a read (lots of science) -Duhigg does a great job of making the science really relatable.  It reads like a narrative rather than a textbook.  If you need to change some habits, this is a great book to get you started.

It's Contest Time!

Earlier this month, Random House had a get together to celebrate the paperback release of French Lessons by Ellen Sussman.  Now I'm spreading the love.  Enter below for a chance to win an unabridged audio book or paperback copy of French Lessons.




To enter,
       Leave your name and email in the comments.
       Specify whether you want the audio book or the paperback.
       Tell me what book are you looking forward to reading this summer.

Contest closes July 5, 2011.  Winner announced July 6, 2011.
Sorry, guys the audiobook is fragile so this is only for US or Canada.  48 hours for winner to claim prize, otherwise prize is forfeited.  I will only ask for your address if you win and do not sell or keep your personal information after shipping . 

Bloggers Night Out - Swag -

  

On Thursday night, the wonderful people at Random House invited assorted book bloggers and tweeters in the NY area to a get-together at the Random House offices.  We got to meet Ellen Sussman, author of  French Lessons, which is on tons of  Summer Reads lists.  Ellen, who is was so cool btw, talked a little about her inspiration for the book.


Check out the swag.  Forgive the blurry picture, phone has been acting a fool for the past couple days.