Welcome to Litsy!

I devour history like this.

Happened upon this at a used book store right after hearing a podcast suggestion. I liked it a lot and can‘t wait to dig in to more from Alan Furst

Today has been a #terribletuesday (it‘s totally an Alexander Day and I‘m ready to move to Australia-IYKYK). To get me through the rest of this day, I‘m turning to a much beloved author and a favorite audiobook narrator (Simon Vance). My favorite thing about this one is all the time we get with “Mother Russia” Connie Sachs. I love Connie so much. So. Much.

It doesn't look like I've moved other than to grab wine + pizza, but book 2 on our holidays was this very good spy thriller set in bahrain after the Arab spring revolts. Shane Collins is a jaded CIA operative, divorced, and a heavy drinker living in the American community, having to temper his anger at a younger boss. When he is attracted to a bahranian woman, and he becomes attached to his source in the protest movement, the story gains pace.

I probably shouldn‘t mark this reread as a review, but consider this a review of the audio narrated by Simon Vance. Vance is perfect for le Carre‘s novels. This one is not as adventurous or glamorous as his more well known novels, but the author himself notes that this is closer to reality than Spy or Tinker Tailor. It‘s petty, sad, and filled with egos that desperately want to be relevant but aren‘t. Le Carre‘s writing is brilliant, as always.

My first taste of William Boyd, and I rather enjoyed it. The main character is, for the most part, a likeable character - apart from when he seem to go a bit mad and out of character, turning into a mad stalker for an entire chapter. Do all of Boyd‘s books have a disturbing obsession with sex filtering through?

Book 59/80 #Read2025 @DieAReader

Catching up on last weekends rdng + this v good spy story. Scarlet King is a British agent who, in 1946, helps kidnap a German scientist to Eng + then rises through the ranks of the secret service nearly to head MI6. When historian Max Archer is invited to meet Scarlet in her 90s, she has a story to tell which could be a bigger scandal than the Cambridge 5 + the establishment tries to stop the leak. Fast paced,+ well researched, the pages flew by.

Edge of the seat spy novel, and interesting female protagonist.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7578195543

Though sprawling, this book is a testament to the “ability of small groups of outsiders to challenge huge powers precisely because they have strengths that those powers see as weaknesses,” demonstrating how “the very people Hitler‘s Reich sought to exclude or destroy were singularly equipped to defeat him,” contributing their diverse backgrounds and scholarly skills to the newborn US intelligence service and playing a pivotal role in winning WWII.

Travel writer Gabriel is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 60s when he is asked to interview Patrice Lumumba. From there his life takes a turn and he becomes an unlikely Cold War spy, caught up in more than he realises. I loved Gabriel‘s gentle yet sharp character, his attempts to play with those leading him, combined with his sad backstory and the will he/won‘t he romance. Stylish, good fun, yet also thought provoking.