I Just Can't Do It

I'm sorry.  Not to you, but to myself.  It isn't very often that I cannot finish reading a book.  In fact, I can't remember the last time I didn't finish one.  My personal rule is that I give the book 100 pages of reading, and if I don't like it, I can stop.  I gave this one 195 pages.  I just can't bring myself to read anymore of it.  I will be honest.  My mind hasn't really been in it, but to me that still isn't an excuse. 

The book I was reading is called The Snowman, by Jo Nesbo.  It was recommended by an article on NPR's website.  I have read other books recommended by writers for NPR, and they have been good.  I am assuming that The Snowman is good also, it is just not good to me.  If you are not familiar with Mr. Nesbo's work, he is a Norwegian author.  The Snowman is a book in the Harry Hole series, with Harry Hole being the protagonist in the series.  I will not go into the story, since obviously I didn't finish it.  One issue I had the whole time reading was with the attempts that Hole made to seem American.  Every American comparison seemed to be caricature.  The one that really stuck with me was when Hole was practicing his speed-cuffing techniques on a table leg.  He wanted to be as good as the American detectives he witnessed during his stint with the FBI (yes, he got to train with the FBI.)  While I have never been arrested, I have seen it happen to others before, and I never once saw a police officer speed-cuff anyone. 

There are other points I could make, but again, I didn't finish the book, so I have a hard time telling others my opinions of it.  I'm sure others think it is a very good read, and I don't want to spoil their enjoyment.

Here are two books that I AM going to finish, that I recently picked up at the library:

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson