Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library Reader Advisory Blog: john lecarre

Love top-notch spy thrillers? Filmgoers who have seen the new award-winning movie Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy might have (re)discovered John Le Carré's 1974 novel of the same name. In this classic suspense story, British agent George Smiley hunts for a Soviet double agent within the ranks of the Secret Service. And if you're similarly on the hunt for a good read-alike, try these three books, recommended by Novelist:

Secret Asset by Stella Rimington - Secret Asset portrays agent Liz Carlyle's attempt to thwart a terrorist attack and root out a mole in British intelligence. Rimington's eye for the details of life in a secretive community conveys a contemporary upgrade of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Morning Spy, Evening Spy by Colin MacKinnon - In Morning Spy, Evening Spy, a CIA agent investigates the death of a fellow agent during the year leading up to 9/11, uncovering ineptitude, almost willful blindness, and scrambled priorities reminiscent of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy's portrayal of Britain's MI5.
The Eighth Dwarf by Ross Thomas - Set in war-torn Germany in the late-1940s, The Eighth Dwarf features more action than Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and the pacing is faster than Le Carré's. However, both portray a world-weary cynicism and an equally compelling cast of minor characters.

Remember, you can log onto Novelist yourself anytime using your Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library card.

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

"Being Mortal is about the limitations of what modern medicine can provide for people as their lives draw to a close. Gawande argues that the objective of medicine should not merely be treatment and survival; medical care should also ensure dignity in death and having control over one's final moments. He argues that instead of aggressively fighting the inescapable realities of aging, we should ask the hard questions of ourselves and our loved ones -- What makes life worth living? When should we try to extend our lives, and when should we choose a better quality of our remaining days over extending their quantity?

This book is difficult to read. Not because of the way Gawande writes -- his style is highly engaging, and he never lapses into excessively scientific jargon or overly simplistic explanations -- but because of the tough subject matter. Gawande draws on his own experiences as a doctor and peppers his book with honest and humane stories of his patients, friends, and family; the stories he tells make the book more accessible, and also more heartbreaking. (And that's not a bad thing.)

No one likes to think about their loved ones', or their own, impending mortality. But it's important to have these hard conversations, because as Gawande says, "endings matter." - Amanda

Books like Le Carre's 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'

Pessimists' Reading List