Welcome to Litsy!

Among my #FridayReads? This riveting "re-read."

I must admit, once I learned the plot outlines, I considered the initial parts of the novel fun but more ridiculous than the James Bond movies.

But as the novel progressed, and especially at the climax, Trevanian (pen name of Rodney Whitaker) surprised me, imbuing the story with a pathos and grittiness I didn't expect. Some plot and character contrivances aside, it still is a spy novel worthy of a slow weekend's worth of time.

Recommended.

An account of an expedition to Everest which culminated in the deaths of 8 people including 2 experienced guides. In March 1996 three separate groups were caught out not far from the summit by a severe storm. This is a detailed account of the climb & an examination of the factors which led to the tragedy & leaves the reader wondering if such exploration is really worth the cost in lives.

"Robust virility was projected through every detail of Ben's face, from the thick, close-cropped silver hair to the broad leathery face that looked as though it had been designed by Hormel and shaped with a dull saber."

I‘m growing on Sarah Lotz. While listing to another book of hers, I just finished this one. Set from extreme depth to extreme height (caves to Everest), the focus on the psychological/paranormal/trauma of the central characters drew me in. The idea of a shadow, real as a person, but only seen by one. Mind over matter, but the matter of madness extends a hand (even if unwanted).

#CoverStories #Clouds ☁️ @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Every now and then I like to read some #nonfiction Into Thin Air is one that I have been wanting to read for a very long time. I finally found it in the library.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mount Everest is a concept indicative of achievement, yearning, and enormous audacity. And such is life, and disaster. Dixon and brother Nate set out to become the first Black American males to summit. Through alternating timelines, Outen lays out the Everest story and what follows. Dixon‘s literal, and figurative, descent was much more than expected. A very thoughtful debut!

Krakauer was on an assignment to Mt Everest, to write an article for Outdoor Magazine. He joined a guide led by Rob Hall. A mix of weather, inexperience among climbers in the group, poor decisions and a lack of communication, mostly due to lack of oxygen, the trek became fatal.
Date nite to Royal Spice, a local Nepalese/Indian restaurant. I had Newari Khaja with goat, naan, and Nepalese rice pudding. #FoodandLit

Let‘s be clear, this is not a horror story. It‘s a thriller. Try climbing the world‘s highest mountain when you are being chased by killers. Jake Perry writes his memoir about his epic climb in 1924. It reads like nonfiction as he goes through the details of planning for the climb, and the narrator is perfect for this task. But the “thrilling” part of the book starts about halfway through it when gruesome murders start happening. I found the ⬇️

I read this book for #Nepal #foodandlit. When the book is set, 1924, Nepal was a “forbidden nation.” So the mountain climbers couldn‘t try to summit Mt. Everest from Nepal. So that sent me to Google to find out why. Nepal was ruled by the Ranas in the 1800s, who closed Nepal‘s borders to foreigners (except sometimes the British, Chinese, and Tibetans). Following a democratic movement that overthrew the Ranas, Nepal‘s borders were opened in 1951.