All My Sins Are Relatives (39)

All My Sins Are Relatives
W. S. Penn

This book was a gift from my wife. She knows the author, a prof at Michigan State University.
Penn's father is Indian, but does not speak of it. His mother is white and despises all things Indian... He is caught in the middle.. and it is his grandfather who tells him the stories of his Indian heritage. He works for much of his life trying to understand and reconcile these worlds... This autobiographical book looks at his rememberances and thoughts from his childhood, about his relationship with his own children, about his college days, about his VietNam expereince, about his encounter with his maternal grandfather. The experiences are interesting, yet not in chronogical order.. but as we learn, this is partial the point.. that time can be looked at differently.
And interesting, although somewhat heavy book. Also deals a lot with early "Indian" writers and how much of their books were their words.. and how much of it was editors. And what makes someone an "Indian" writer.. can a mixed blood really be an "Indian" writer. He examines that question as well as some of his own expereices with Editors that wanted to change his word so the book would sell.

Out Of Sight (38)

Out of Sight
Elmore Leonard

Another Leonard book.. the ending is set in Detroit. It concerns a guy who breaks out of Prison, then he and his partner head to Detroit to reconnect with some associates with prison with the thoughts of robbing someone they have heard who keeps large sums of cash in the house... In the mean time there is a federal marshall persuing them.

Set in Detroit in the winter with lots of familiar landmarks included in the book. The plot is a bit different than some of Leonards... at times I was trying to figure out what they were doing.. overall an enjoyable book.

Mr Paradise (37)

Mr Paradise
Elmore Leonard

I took a break from LeCarre to read a Leonard book... This one is great and classic Leonard.. revolves around the murder of a 86 yr old and rich man.. and his 20 something girlfriend. Withing the first 1/3 of the book we know everything that has happened to all the characters and why.. what is left is to see how it will play out.. between the groups of bad guys.. various characters and interests.. will everybody figure it out.. how will some characters react... The fun of the Leonard books isn't what happened.. but how everybody will react to it :)
Book was also set in Detroit.. so this makes it even more fun for me :)

The Looking Glass War (36)

The Looking Glass War
John LeCarre

This was my next LeCarre book. Involves Smiley as a background character. Involves a young agent who is sent to claim the body of an agent who was "accidently" killed in an auto accident while retreiving film from a pilot. Plot revolves around fear that the Soviets are building Missle batteries in E Germany.. so they activate one of their old operatives from the war and send him over... after a month of intensive training.. The agent runs into immediate trouble.. and then makes some fatal mistakes...
The ending is very vauge... it doesnt say what happens to everybody.. but rather leaves it for you to imagine.. a very effective literay device. This book reminded me very much of Deighton's Spy Story... There are the upper mgt types who take everything in stride, while the young agent is anxious and concerned about the people.. rather than the mission objective in the whole... And of course they are British.. so they are drinking lots of tea while they do everything - lol

A Murder of Quality (35)

A Murder of Quality
John LeCarre

This was LeCarre's second book.. also centered around George Smiley.. In this book he looks into the death of the wife of a teacher at a boys religious school. Has nothing to do with Foreign Service, but a good mystery. LeCarre is rather precise about his endings.. there may be surprises.. but you will understand the result.. no guessing about what happened. On to my next LeCarre book :)