Books are still an incredible resource for learning, education, entertainment, reference and more. Just because a certain company has created an existential challenge for most independent bookstores, there are still many out there that survive and need your support. Lynxotic is directly affiliated with one such store and also with Bookshop.org that sponsors independent bookstores everywhere.
This weekend, as a way to celebrate, free standard shipping is available all weekend long!
Below we have provided some book ideas to consider:
Multi-talented author and political force of nature
Hearing the name Stacey Abrams, you’d likely think of a woman who ran for governor in 2020 in Georgia, or the role she played in registering hundreds of thousands of voters and becoming a Democratic power broker. You might be surprised to learn that before she was well known in the political realm, Stacey Abrams wrote romance novels, under the nom de plume “Selena Montgomery”.
Abrams has also written non-fiction, including “Lead from the Outside” and Our Time is Now“. And now, in an interesting departure from previous works, her newest book is a political thriller. This is her 11th book, under her various names, but it is the first work of fiction published under her real name.
Recently the news broke that her novel is going to be adapted for a TV series to be produced by NBC Universal International Studios.
We provide a look at “While Justice Sleeps“, by Stacey Abrams, below, along with a description, provided courtesy of the Bookshop (and the publisher), along with some links for a variety of purchasing options.
Avery Keene, a brilliant young law clerk for the legendary Justice Howard Wynn, is doing her best to hold her life together–excelling in an arduous job with the court while also dealing with a troubled family.
When the shocking news breaks that Justice Wynn–the cantankerous swing vote on many current high-profile cases–has slipped into a coma, Avery’s life turns upside down.
She is immediately notified that Justice Wynn has left instructions for her to serve as his legal guardian and power of attorney. Plunged into an explosive role she never anticipated, Avery finds that Justice Wynn had been secretly researching one of the most controversial cases before the court–a proposed merger between an American biotech company and an Indian genetics firm, which promises to unleash breathtaking results in the medical field.
She also discovers that Wynn suspected a dangerously related conspiracy that infiltrates the highest power corridors of Washington. As political wrangling ensues in Washington to potentially replace the ailing judge whose life and survival Avery controls, she begins to unravel a carefully constructed, chesslike sequence of clues left behind by Wynn. She comes to see that Wynn had a much more personal stake in the controversial case and realizes his complex puzzle will lead her directly into harm’s way in order to find the truth.
While Justice Sleeps is a cunningly crafted, sophisticated novel, layered with myriad twists and a vibrant cast of characters. Drawing on her astute inside knowledge of the court and political landscape, Stacey Abrams shows herself to be not only a force for good in politics and voter fairness but also a major new talent in suspense fiction.
If you loved Part 1, the second installment is coming later this year…
Omar Sy plays Assane Diop in ‘Lupin’, a limited Netflix series that has become a somewhat unexpected hit. While there have been some successful streaming hits with original French production and English sub-titles, this time it’s not an impediment but a feature.
Going to the source can make the Netflix series all the more satisfying
The series is based on Leblanc’s book series, which includes 17 novels and 30 novellas, all of which were written in the early 1900’s. The turn-of-the-century surprise hit. Lupin was initially created in response to the popularity of Sherlock Holmes. These stories–the best of the Lupin series–are outrageous, melodramatic, and literate, and they sparkle with amusing banter.
We’ve rounded up the first five books in the series to get you started.
Leblanc’s creation, gentleman thief Ars ne Lupin, is everything you would expect from a French aristocrat–witty, charming, brilliant, sly…and possibly the greatest thief in the world. The inspiration for the new Netflix series, Lupin, starring Omar Sy
The poor and innocent have nothing to fear from him; often they profit from his spontaneous generosity. The rich and powerful, and the detective who tries to spoil his fun, however, must beware.
They are the target of Lupin’s mischief and tomfoolery. A masterful thief turned detective, his plans frequently evolve into elaborate plots, the predecessor to such present day capers as Ocean’s Eleven and The Sting. Click to see “Gentleman-Thief” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon and Google Shopping.
LeBlanc’s creation, gentleman thief Arsene Lupin, is everything you would expect from a French aristocrat — witty, charming, brilliant, sly . . . and possibly the greatest thief in the world.
In this classic tale, Lupin comes up against the only man who may be able to stop him . . . no less than the great British gentleman-detective Herlock Sholmes Who will emerge triumphant? Includes a new introduction by Darrell Schweitzer.
In a country manor, a terrible noise awakes the household. Downstairs, the estate’s secretary has been murdered. There are signs of a break-in, but everything appears to be in its proper place. What kind of thief would commit murder to steal nothing?
The first detective on the case is Isidore Beautrelet, a precocious teenager who wears a fake beard to disguise the fact that he has not yet graduated from high school.
Although the other investigators do not take him seriously, Beautrelet is the one to pick up the trail of Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief.
Lupin, it is soon discovered, is chasing the most valuable object he has ever had the opportunity to steal: the Hollow Needle. Passed down for generations by the kings of France, it holds a secret that could undo the republic. No one has ever managed to foil one of Lupin’s fiendish plans, but Beautrelet is counting on beginner’s luck.
Arsene Lupin, accused of murder, heads the police investigation to clear himself by finding the true killer! One of the very best Lupin novels.
When one of Arséne Lupin’ victims is found dead in a way that implicates the wily criminal, he insists on heading the police search for the real murderer.
The mystery involves finding a package of letters once written to Bismarck, locating a clock on which the number 813 has significance, as well as causing a reigning emperor to make several journeys incognito. Murders by the dozens, suicide and mild forms of torture are warp and woof of the plot.
Author Maurice LeBlanc (1864-1941) was a French novelist and writer of short stories, known primarily as the creator of the fictional gentleman thief and detective Arsene Lupin, often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation Sherlock Holmes. (The two actually meet in one of LeBlanc’s novels.)
Arsene Lupin may have finally met his match in Deputy Daubrecq, a cunning detective who foils Lupin’s most cunning roberies, thefts, and even a kidnapping.
Can the world’s greatest thief get his act together, save his arrested men from the guillotine, and recover his lost honor?
A thrilling adventure from the author of Arsene Lupin, Arsene Lupin vs. Herloch Sholmes, and The Hollow Needle!
Writer defined and brought attention to genre, Cold War Espionage Thrillers
The acclaimed spy novelist, John le Carré, whose work spans nearly 6 decades, died Dec. 12, at the age of 89. If you have never read any of his thrillers, we’ve compiled a handful of his most famous works that we recommend.
Born David Cornwell, Le Carré worked as a Cold War-era British agent (M15 and M16) for 12 years. When his cover was blown and leaked to the KGB, he left and took to pursuing his writing full-time.
What he left behind, 25 novels, gave readers a taste of espionage, great betrayals, deceptions, the vicarious excitement of his inner world. His best-known titles sold millions of copies and a handful of them were adapted for film and television.
The 50th-anniversary edition of the bestselling novel that launched John le Carré’s career worldwide
In the shadow of the newly erected Berlin Wall, Alec Leamas watches as his last agent is shot dead by East German sentries. For Leamas, the head of Berlin Station, the Cold War is over. As he faces the prospect of retirement or worse–a desk job–Control offers him a unique opportunity for revenge. Assuming the guise of an embittered and dissolute ex-agent, Leamas is set up to trap Mundt, the deputy director of the East German Intelligence Service–with himself as the bait. In the background is George Smiley, ready to make the game play out just as Control wants.
Setting a standard that has never been surpassed, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a devastating tale of duplicity and espionage. Click to see “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
The man he knew as Control is dead, and the young Turks who forced him out now run the Circus. But George Smiley isn’t quite ready for retirement–especially when a pretty, would-be defector surfaces with a shocking accusation: a Soviet mole has penetrated the highest level of British Intelligence. Relying only on his wits and a small, loyal cadre, Smiley recognizes the hand of Karla–his Moscow Centre nemesis–and sets a trap to catch the traitor.
The Oscar-nominated feature film adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) and features Gary Oldman as Smiley, Academy Award winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), and Tom Hardy (Inception). Click to see “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
You want to catch the lion, first you tether the goat.
On holiday in Mykonos, Charlie wants only sunny days and a brief escape from England’s bourgeois dreariness. Then a handsome stranger lures the aspiring actress away from her pals–but his intentions are far from romantic. Joseph is an Israeli intelligence officer, and Charlie has been wooed to flush out the leader of a Palestinian terrorist group responsible for a string of deadly bombings. Still uncertain of her own allegiances, she debuts in the role of a lifetime as a double agent in the “theatre of the real.”
Haunting and deeply atmospheric, John le Carr ‘s The Little Drummer Girl is a virtuoso performance and a powerful examination of morality and justice. Click to see ” The Little Drummer Girl” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
The novel opens in northern Kenya with the gruesome murder of Tessa Quayle — young, beautiful, and dearly beloved to husband Justin. When Justin sets out on a personal odyssey to uncover the mystery of her death, what he finds could make him not only a suspect among his own colleagues, but a target for Tessa’s killers as well.
A master chronicler of the betrayals of ordinary people caught in political conflict, John le Carré portrays the dark side of unbridled capitalism as only he can. In The Constant Gardener he tells a compelling, complex story of a man elevated through tragedy, as Justin Quayle — amateur gardener, aging widower, and ineffectual bureaucrat — discovers his own natural resources and the extraordinary courage of the woman he barely had time to love. Click to see “The Constant Gardener” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
A Perfect Spy
Click to see “A Perfect Spy” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Over the course of his seemingly irreproachable life, Magnus Pym has been all things to all people: a devoted family man, a trusted colleague, a loyal friend–and the perfect spy. But in the wake of his estranged father’s death, Magnus vanishes, and the British Secret Service is up in arms. Is it grief, or is the reason for his disappearance more sinister? And who is the mysterious man with the sad moustache who also seems to be looking for Magnus?
In A Perfect Spy, John le Carré has crafted one of his crowning masterpieces, interweaving a moving and unusual coming-of-age story with a morally tangled chronicle of modern espionage. Click to see “A Perfect Spy” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
