Welcome to Litsy!

A change of genre.
Let‘s see how this 1950s political novel is. I love the cover! My copy is very much an original with very brittle pages /binding.

Brief sketches of Western writers who have set books in Asia. Each has a quick bio, a summary of their main works and the setting and whether a literary pilgrimage is still possible.

It wasn't horrible but disappointingly few books to add to my wishlist. The book was poorly edited with what appeared to be lines missing and sentences that should have been simple but had to be read several times to be understood.

S0-So verging on a Pan.

#lunchandabook

Picked up this slim volume from the library. Interesting little read about this cultural item from the south east Asian region.

Another good installment in the Dr. Siri Padiboun series set in Laos. I love the curmudgeonly but compassionate Siri, as well as his interesting and often humorous observations on Laotian culture and politics.

#gottacatchemall (Goomy: set somewhere humid) @PuddleJumper

This book is about the mass killings in Indonesia in 1965-66 and in other countries in the 20th century. There were so many details in this well researched book. I listened to the audio, so I‘m already planning to reread it and to research some of the topics in it, such as the Bandung Conference. #NonFiction

Ugh. I hate to end my reading year this way but what is this book.
I was expecting to cycle from the US to Vietnam but actually there's a few planes being boarded here and while that's OK, it didn't make a very interesting journey.
This centres around a young man whose family left Vietnam for the United States after the war and his epic return to the fatherland.
While the story of the family is interesting, the journey is a bit of a flop.

#WhereAreYouMonday

Multi-generational story beginning outside Ipoh, Malaysia. I am waiting to return to the storyline of the daughter that sees ghosts.

I have two books on the go -- the pictured book is my evening read, when I'm not too tired, and the tagged book is my on-the-go book.

Not making very quick progress in either these days.

One of my core beliefs growing up was that the US was good. This book puts the final nail in the coffin of my decaying faith in this country. US foreign policy is a monstrous beast. The number of genocides we have encouraged, funded, and instigated, is mind-boggling. This book is thoroughly and thoughtfully researched and the audiobook narration is clear and well done. I knew I‘d be angry when I finished. I am also heartbroken and horrified.