Qwiklit

Hey readers, 

As we enter summer, it’s time to start looking for a place to put your feet up, or perhaps an Innisfree in the middle of an azure lake for you to reflect upon the world. Whatever you do for your summer fix, we’ll be sure to give you the recommendations you need for reading. For now, though, here are some books to follow the latest in news and recent curiosities:

• A law has been put in effect by the Canadian government effectively banning the use of masks in protests, and those charged may receive a prison sentence of up to ten years. Anonymity has played a big role in the public challenging of law, and few things have better symbolized global causes than the “V for Vendetta” mask, inspired by the graphic novel and the subsequent film adaptation.
• The United States have officially charged Edward Snowden with espionage, prompting a manhunt that is, at this moment, fooling everybody. John Le Carre’s The Spy Who Came in From The Cold is a good introductory piece for learning about American-British espionage, and Snowden’s travels between Hawaii, Hong Kong and Russia provide a relevant backdrop to one of Le Carre’s finest novels.
• James Gandolfini, star of the HBO hit series the Sopranos, has died at the age of 51. Known for his virtuosity in his portrayal of a New Jersey mob boss, he inspired a whole generation to rediscover Italian-American mafia lore. Nicholas Pileggi’s Wiseguy, the basis for Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, provides a detailed look into the adventurous but morally-taxing life in the mob.