Tibor Jones Prize Shortlist Novel Reviewed

Title: Tell A Thousand Lies
Author: Rasana Atreya
Author's website: http://rasanaatreya.com
Genre: Popular Fiction
Where it was published: Amazon (http://ow.ly/9DdxZ)
Available from Kindle

Shortlisted for the 2012 Tibor Jones South Asia prize.
"We also particularly enjoyed the work of Rasana Atreya, [one of] our [two] runners up." ~ The Writing Room Bursary Competition 2011

Reviewed by Holly J Michael (Kansas City, MO USA)

 

Tell a Thousand Lies is an engaging novel that draws you into the heart and days of Pullamma's India where superstitions, the wrong color skin, and dirty politicians can determine a women's fate.

Raised by her grandmother, after her mother dies in childbirth and her father deserts the family, Pullamma lets go of the comfort of childhood innocence, fun and closeness of her best friend Chinni, to face woman-hood in a peculiar situation she lands in.

We travel with Pullamma and all of her hardships as she goes from a young girl in rural mid-1980s India hoping for a municipal water connection and a good husband--in spite of her dark skin and insufficient dowry--through her years of forced Goddesshood and difficulties and betrayals that take her into her adult years.

Tell a Thousand Lies is a moving comedic story about a woman's survival within societal and familial expectations. It allows us to become a part of the life of an endearing girl who makes the most out of difficult situations. It's a story about bonds of friendships, broken and restored, and love. I couldn't put the book down through Pullamma's travels and trials in India.

Pullamma's determination to overcome so many odds kept me breathlessly turning the pages to see how she would get out of the next pickle, and I don't mean her homemade pickle that became a source of income and a catalyst for female bonding and new friendships. I cheered when Pullamma triumphed under the most difficult situations and bit my nails when she had to face the evil politician's mischief.

Atreya's eloquent writing and detailed observations of life for women in India as well as the beauty and historical charm of India come through beautifully in this novel. I enjoy books filled with cultural richness that enlighten and entertain and Rasana Atreya pulls this off beautifully in her debut novel.

Having traveled throughout India several times and having relatives who live in India, I appreciated the spot-on struggles Indian women faced in the past and continue to face even today.

Tell A Thousand Lies is an emotional rollercoaster ride that makes you keep rooting for Pullamma as Atreya delightfully and hilariously infuses issues of class, religion, work, education, sexual roles, and the ties between women.

This is a very descriptive, well written story that draws you into the lives and emotions of the characters. A very good, humorous, poignant and heartwarming read.

 ~ Learn more about Rasana Atreya at  http://rasanaatreya.com and
http://rasanaatreya.wordpress.com . Her Tell A Thousand Lies is shortlisted for the TiborJones South Asia prize.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Book of Modern Fiction Reviewed

Title: An Artist of the Floating World
Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Genre: Modern fiction
ISBN: 0679722661

Reviewed by Amy at book musings

Set in postwar Japan, Kazuo Ishiguro's An Artist of the Floating World is the story of an artist, now elderly, coming to terms with his decision to use his art in support of the militaristic regime coming into power in the decades leading up to the war. The phrase "floating world" refers traditionally to Japan's pleasure districts--neighborhoods of restaurants, bars, theaters, and brothels. Much of the artist's remembered past takes place in the bars of the floating world, drinking, arguing, and discussing art with his mentors, his peers, and later with his students. His art, and that of his contemporaries, focused on depicting the people of this floating world.

This is a very subtle and unusual story. The first thing we learn about the artist is that he gained his house as a result of his good character and reputation. He treats his family well and is respected and admired. That there is something wrong with his past we only learn gradually and indirectly. His younger daughter's marriage negotiations end abruptly when the other family suddenly and inexplicably pulls out. A new suitor appears, and his elder daughter suggests delicately that he visit certain old associates to make sure that they do not tell the suitor's family anything "unfortunate." The oblique Japanese style of discourse, in which nothing is stated baldly, but only approached in stages, makes a wonderful mirror for the artist's thought processes. The impression is that he would prefer not to name, even in his own mind, the deed of which he is ashamed.

The central portion of the book is taken up with these visits to former associates and students. With each conversation, the picture of the past becomes a little more detailed. We come to understand that the artist, gradually becoming enamored of the belligerent, militaristic mood of the new regime in the prewar years, changed his style of painting and began producing propaganda art. In the process he alienated some people, including his beloved teacher, and influenced others to join him.

Eventually, the artist calls on a man who refuses to see him. This man and his refusal are the link to the deed that the artist has not named. When he names it, and we learn it, the story has gone from vague and indirect to, finally, direct and specific. 

There are no shocks here, really. This isn't a suspense story in which the point is to find out what the terrible act was. Rather, it's a man's process of facing his past actions from the vantage point of a now very different (floating?) world, and the good and bad effects of that confrontation, delicately and subtly told.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Cary Pepper Crime Novel Called "Great Read"

Reel Life Crime
Author: Cary Pepper
Author’s Website: www.carypepper.comGenre: Fiction/Detective/Crime
ISBN: 978-1-4658-4263-3

Reviewed by esmeowl12 originally for ReaderJots
Five-Star Review

I was intrigued by Reel Life Crime by Cary Pepper when I was approached to review it.

Private detective Ed Sampas is approached by an “odd couple” for an interesting case. Aristocratic Thelonius Noble and 300 pound Pago Mundy have a problem. Their authentic movie prop (one of only two that exist), the Maltese falcon, has been stolen and they want it back. The recovery must be done quickly and quietly. No police involvement.

Complicating matters are Sampas’ two totally different friends. McNulty, an up-and-up cop, is on the law side and Hank, the gay antiquities dealer, sometimes operates on the other side. Both become intricately meshed in the case.

Comic relief comes with two doped up computer geeks, a beautiful young photographer named Phoebe and Sampas’ nephew Ralph. There is mystery, plot twists and turns, revenge and near-death experiences. The ending is not what one would expect.

I thought this was a great read and highly recommend it. I enjoyed the suspense and the characters were believable and likable. I have never read The Maltese Falcon or seen the movie but I will now.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Learn to Be Successful

360 Degrees of Influence: 
Subtitle: Get Everyone to Follow Your Lead on Your Way to the Top

By NYT Bestselling author Harrison Monarth
Nonfiction: Self-Help

What is
“360 Degree Influence”?

“360 Degree Influence” is Harrison Monarth’s term for the ability to influence those above
you, around
you, and beneath
you. No matter what your role is in this world, this influence powerfully
determines what you accomplish with your life.

With the possible exception of the U.S. president, every one of us has people “above”
us in power. How do you gain their confidence and respect, to give you more
responsibility, or money, or love, or whatever it is you seek?

Then there are those around you. People at your general level of power. Your peers in business, your spouse or significant other, your friends.

Finally, there are those “beneath” you. Not, of course, in their value as human beings,
but in authority. Perhaps they work for you, or serve on a committee under you.
You can even put your KIDS in this category. How do you become someone they
really listen
to? 

ANYONE can benefit from 360 Degree Influence . . . whether you are:

•
In a work environment with people above and beneath you

•
Someone who wants more influence among friends or social group

•
A member of a committee, charity, PTA or other group

•
An entrepreneur, building or running a business

•
A mom or dad wanting respect from kids, spouse and relatives

Can
you really learn
to be influential?

You’ve known them yourself: people who can walk into a room and command the attention and respect of others. Here’s the strange part: it’s not always that they’re
rich, powerful or great-looking. It’s the way they speak, move, interact with
people.

Believe it or not, you can LEARN to have this sort of influence. And once you do, there
is nothing you cannot achieve!

“No longer limited to the sphere of superheroes and CEOs, the extraordinary power of
influence is now within everyone’s reach . . . all can benefit from Monarth’s
simple steps for getting everyone to follow your lead.”

Marshall Goldsmith, million-selling author of the New York Times Bestsellers  “MOJO” and
“What Got You Here Won't Get You There”

You’ll learn to:

•
Assess your current influencing power

•
Address your weak spots in communicating with authority

•
Overcome resistance to your ideas

•
“Read” other people – so you always know the right approach

•
Make your opinions heard and respected

•
Project authority and power to those around you

Please
click on this link for more information, ordering and free gifts!

  CHECK IT OUT
HERE!

From
Gandhi, to FDR, to Henry Ford!

Think of people throughout history who impress you with their power to influence
others, to lead, to make things happen.

You’ll  notice one thing they all have in common. They were able to win the respect of
those above and around them as they rose to prominence, and the power to lead
those beneath them once they got there. Perfect examples of 360 Degree
Influence!

This principle remains true whether you are talking about business, political or
religious leaders, or “regular folks” who just want to get ahead at work or in
their social circle. There is no such thing as a person who doesn’t somehow
benefit from learning the secret of 360 Degree Influence!

These
principles even apply to love and friendship

Yes, the principles of 360 Degree Influence even work for relationships.
Like it or not, there’s a subtle power structure in every relationship, whether
well-established or brand new. The same influence that makes a boss or employee
respect you can be applied to a new love interest or friend. People
are magnetically attracted to confidence and social
intelligence.

About
Harrison Monarth

Harrison Monarth is a leader in the field of persuasive communication. He is the founder and
president of GuruMaker, an internationally-respected communications consulting
firm that coaches Fortune 500 executives, international politicians and other
high-level professionals at such organizations as Intel, the American Heart
Association, Cisco Systems, Merrill Lynch, NASA and the U.S. Congress.
Harrison’s first book, “The Confident Speaker,” was a New York Times Bestseller.
In March 2011, Harrison joined the faculty of the prestigious Institute for
Management Studies, Chicago, where he instructs Fortune 500
executives.

With this new book, Harrison brings his principles of powerfully influencing others
to everyone from executives, to entrepreneurs, to charity volunteers, to
students, to stay-at-home moms!


PS. The book will be available to the general public later for the same price,
but without the free gifts. So I urge you to order it today!

Please
click on this link for more information, ordering and free bonuses!

  CHECK IT OUT
HERE!

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Universal Sales Techniques Lauded by Publisher/Reviewer

Title: Seven Secrets of Superselling

Author- Michael B. Hickland

Author’s Website link-http://michaelbhickland.blogspot.com/

Genre or Category-Business, Nonfiction

ISBN 9781620952863

Originally reviewed by Gary Anderson for Amazon.com

Seven Secrets of Superselling

Michael B. Hickland

As a former retail salesperson, real estate professional, and now owner of my own editing firm and publishing company, I found Michael Hickland’s ebook Seven Secrets of Superselling both informative and inspiring, because I know from my own experience that he is right on the money in every case.

If you want a leg up on your competition, all you have to do is read and absorb the information in this ebook and then diligently put the seven secrets to work in your own career—no matter what field of sales you might be in. The techniques are universal and will work in any field. The steps Michael describes are things I used throughout in my own long career, so I know firsthand that they’ll help you succeed, as well.

There is no professional that is paid more handsomely than a highly effective salesperson. Only skilled surgeons make more worldwide—and they have to go to school for at least eight years before they can even hang out their shingles. Every business in the world relies on great salespeople—so the opportunities are limitless. Michael Hickland’s Seven Secrets of Superselling is a perfect no-frills guide for learning how to become a Superseller yourself!

~Learn more about reviewer Gary Anderson at www.abciowa.com, www.ParadiseCreekBooks.com

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Generation X Without the Banalities

Acid Indigestion Eyes

Subtitle: Collected Essays and Musings on Generation X

By Wayne Lockwood
Codorus Press, December 2011
ISBN 9780983978329

Originally reviewed by TJ "Brewser" for Amazon.com

I was really impressed with "Acid Indigestion Eyes." Believe me, that means something.

Wayne Lockwood was a Generation X columnist in the 1990s, and this is a collection of his columns. As a guy in his 40s who was around for the era that Mr. Lockwood chronicles in this book, I remember all too well the substandard work that a lot of "Generation X columnists" produced. For too many news outlets, the definition of "Generation X columnist" seemed to be: Any staffer in his or her 20s whom the middle-aged members of management thought might "get" whatever the hell the kids are into these days.

So for starters, here's what you WON'T find in "Acid Indigestion Eyes":

--- A cavalcade of sorely dated cultural references.

--- Ruminations on cultural and political issues that are no longer relevant.

--- The smug indifference for which Generation X (justifiably, to some degree) was so notorious.

--- Trite observations and bad writing.

Instead, you'll find the thoughts of a literate, intelligent young man just starting out in the world, and getting some sense of who he is and what he wants out of life. Although this is nonfiction and thus somewhat of a different beast, I wouldn't consider it an exaggeration to put it alongside such works as "The Graduate" in its insightful encapsulation of that period we all go through, one way or another.

To his credit, Mr. Lockwood avoids the trap of so many young writers, who often consider every element of their lives to be the most intense drama imaginable. Mr. Lockwood presents his experiences with an admirably low-key tone, which is far more powerful than histrionics would have been.

He works a low-paying job. Scrounges for discarded furniture. Wonders why people treat him differently when he's wearing a tie than when he isn't. Gets drunk occasionally. Eats too much fast food.

In between, he deals with his relationship with his mother, who suffered a nervous breakdown. He works through his thoughts on politics, religion and mortality.

This juxtaposition of mundane details and big issues is ultimately what makes the book so effective, and so universal - no matter what decade we happen to be in.

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Utopian Frontiers: Useful Speculative Fiction

Title: Utopian Frontiers
Author – Drew Tapley
Author's website link – http://www.utopianfrontiers.com
Genre or category – Sci-Fi, Speculative fiction
ISBN-10: 1927005124
ISBN-13:978-1927005125

Welcome to the world of Utopian Frontiers, a fictional story about a secret, prototypical city located on the fringes of national parkland somewhere in the Americas. The city itself is the headquarters of a clandestine transnational research corporation dedicated to developing beneficial technologies in service to humanity. Please enter this unique research environment where alternative social/political/economic/technological options are explored in the interest of the future well-being of environmental and ultimately, human integrity.

Recent and emerging world events indicate a growing mass movement demanding solutions to increasingly disturbing trends that have spawned social unrest. People need and want real solutions to real problems that threaten the very systemic basis of the democracies that claim to support and protect the peace and (so called) freedom which generations before us fought to preserve. Yet the entertainment media, to a great extent, continues to deliver trivialized adventure sagas and doomsday scenarios, whereas the public is in need of messages that imply optimism and hope for the future of humanity, delivered in an edutainment format.

The relationship between humankind and technology, a main theme of Utopian Frontiers, explores the positive applications of technology as a tool in the service of social humanity. The inevitable conflict between vested interests and vying priorities, the dramatic tension that ensues as the impact of change upon people’s lives becomes manifest, and the message of hope for the future integration of technologies with the social imperative: these are the major underlying themes explored by Utopian Frontiers.

Join a vacationing family as they inadvertently stumble upon this futuristic city, and witness their struggles as they attempt to come to terms with the challenge of self- fulfillment and actualization, and ultimately the very survival of life as we know it.

This is a timely tale about a secret, evolving society that suggests change to the basic nature of our global culture may ultimately have to include the co-opting of if not a total break from the very institutions and values that spawned and currently nurture us.

Intended to provoke meaningful discussion regarding the current “human condition”, Utopian Frontiers will make you step outside of the box, expand the envelope of possibilities, and consider the very nature of our ways and why we must nurture the long journey to a better, more meaningful, inclusive way of life for one and all.

Please visit our website at www.utopianfrontiers.com and sample some of the music tracks on our EP Utopian Front while reading the book.

And consider this: Utopian Frontiers is about researching options that will help deliver humanity to a healthier state of being, but not all “investors” agree with priorities... Want to know more about the ultimate challenges that confront the community? Read the book, and enjoy, celebrate, embrace, protect life as we know it!

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :