Malasz

Nonfiction Arbitrary lines in the sand PRISONERS OF GEOGRAPHY: Ten Maps that Explain Everything About the World By Tim Marshall 305 pp. Scribner Reviewed by Marty Carlock Prisoners of Geography is a brief and opinionated course in geopolitics. Filled as it is with an intimidating amount of information, the fact that it finds itself on the best-seller list may have a lot to do with its clever title. Yet author Tim Marshall makes a case for his theme: that the geographical limitations of each nation and/or continent dictate its ambitions, its achievements, even its wealth.  How does Marshall know so much about everything in the world? As a foreign correspondent for British television, he has reported from 30 countries, including six war zones. His expertise extends across four continents, omitting Antarctica because of the Antarctic Treaty, which declares it an international scientific preserve where military activity is banned. (He omits Australia, too.) However, he analyzes the ne...

Today the Before the Rains Blog Tour stops here at Rea's Book Reviews where I am thrilled to be able to finally share with you my review for this flawless and captivating read. 1930, Rajputana, India. Since her husband's death, 28-year-old photojournalist Eliza's only companion has been her camera. When the British Government send her to an Indian princely state to photograph the royal family, she's determined to make a name for herself. But when Eliza arrives at the palace she meets Jay, the Prince's handsome, brooding brother. While Eliza awakens Jay to the poverty of his people, he awakens her to the injustices of British rule. Soon Jay and Eliza find they have more in common than they think. But their families - and society - think otherwise. Eventually they will have to make a choice between doing what's expected, or following their hearts. . . Dinah Jefferies is such a talented author whose books always leaves a lasting impression on me and leaves me bere...

Fiction Dead characters walking THE BIG GREEN TENT By Ludmila Ulitskaya, translated by Polly Gannon 579 pp. Picador  Reviewed by Marty Carlock It appears to me that American fiction writers work to please their readers, while Europeans write to please critics. How else to explain the purple praise lavished on The Big Green Tent , a tome by “one of Russia’s most famous writers,” “a must-read,” “Compelling, addictive reading,” “never boring,” and “As grand, solid and impressively all-encompassing as the title implies”? List me among the ignorati: I can agree only with the first and last of these plugs. For 400 of its almost 600 pages I had to beat myself up to keep reading. Ulitskaya whimsically pursues a kind of anti-narrative, telling a character’s story to its end, killing him or her off – then in the next chapter or so: What? Here’s Olga or Ilya again, young and lusty, living another piece of his/her life. This is a lazy way to write. It relieves the author of the tedium of makin...

Fiction A perfect day for a corpse WHERE I CAN SEE YOU By Larry D. Sweazy 255 pp. Seventh Street Books Reviewed by Eric Petersen After his reputation was tarnished by a controversial shooting incident in Detroit, police detective Hud Matthews has returned to his hometown of Demmie Lake, a small Midwestern resort town that was popular with tourists and known for its small-town values. Unable to recover from the recession of 2008, Demmie Lake is now a ghostly shell of its former self. What haunts Hud Matthews the most is the fate of his mother. When he was eight years old, Hud saw his mother get into a car with someone and drive away. She never returned. Raised by his devoted grandmother Gee, a shopkeeper, Hud still refuses to believe that his mother abandoned him. Now, as he works for police chief Paul Burke, whom he’s known since they were kids, Hud feels himself drawn to his mother’s case like metal to a magnet. But first, on “the perfect kind of day for someone to find a dead body,” ...

Nonfiction Hard candies, condoms and dirty tricks CHURCHILL’S MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE:   The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler’s Defeat By Giles Milton 356 pp. Picador Reviewed by Marty Carlock A couple of generations ago, British military officers looked upon war as a sporting exercise, in which rules and fair play were expected. One such gentleman opined that the only proper weapon for fighting was the sword, as it gave each man an equal chance. The brutality and efficiency of the Nazi war machine in Europe led England’s more intelligent gentlemen, Prime Minister Winston Churchill included, to a different conclusion. The Nazis’ opponents would only have a chance of surviving if they resorted to ungentlemanly tactics. Thus the formation of a secret branch of the war office designated Section D: for Deception, Destruction and Dirty tricks.  Its operatives were told that if caught they would neither be acknowledged nor defended by their government. They were trained in sil...

Nonfiction Living with mystery and complexity TIDES The Science and Spirit of the Ocean By Jonathan White 360 pp. Trinity University Press Reviewed by Lynne M. Hinkey For anyone who is fascinated, inspired, or in awe of the ocean, here’s the book for you. The ocean has drawn us to its shores in fascination, awe, and even fear throughout human history. It inspires poetry, mythology, and exploration. Its power and beauty enchant and intrigue us, and piques our curiosity. Whether calling for explorers us to venture forth across its expanse, scientists to discover its secrets, or poets and philosophers to ponder the love affair between the moon and the tides, the sea calls to us to solve its myriad mysteries. Tides is an ode to all those facets of the ocean tides’ rhythmic rise and fall--from mythology and lore to scientific research and great engineering feats.  Author Jonathan White interweaves anecdotes and stories from his experiences as a sailor and marine educator into the compl...

Today I am so excited to be able to share an EXCLUSIVE Irish cover reveal with you for one of my most anticipated books of 2017 by one of my favourite authors who I call the Queen of Emotional writing..... The Woman at 72 Derry Lane by Carmel Harrington. Set on a beautiful leafy street in Dublin, the novel explores the unlikely friendship between two neighbours. Beautiful, serene Stella, who appears to have it all, and gruff, bad-tempered Rea, who seems to have lost it all…including her marbles if you believe the neighbourhood gossip. But appearances can be deceiving and both women discover that behind closed doors everyone has a secret they are desperate to keep… I love the sound of this novel and I love the look of the cover too, what are your thoughts on The Woman at 72 Derry Lane? Paperback       Kindle The Woman at 72 Derry Lane is due for release 1st June for the Irish release followed by the Uk release in September.