[Book Review] The world is a map of books given to knowledge lovers

The world is a map of books given to minds that love knowledge. Here we have some of the new publications in the Arabic world, and internationally, as electronic drops from the ink of knowledge all over the world.

New Releases in Arab world:

• “The Queue” novel by doctor and artist Basma Abdel Aziz, released by “Al Tanweer” publishing house. The novel revolves around the queue by the gate, which seems at first as an ordinary aspect of life, but later on turns into a whole life by itself. In this queue there are a lot of people who have nothing in common except for having to stand in this queue. Each one of them starts to rearrange their life according to that queue.

In “The Queue” novel we reveal along with Dr. Tareq the file of Yehia, paper by paper, through these papers we understand a little about the authority that lies behind these gates. Though the novel doesn’t allow us to firmly grasp this authority, it shows perfectly how the authority can turn people into identical copies.

• The book “Flowers of arts and fruits of minds” by the Moroccan writer Abo Ishaq Ibrahim Ibn Ali AlQayrawani who died in 1601. This book is part of a series released by the general book authority in Egypt. The book comes in two parts; it’s a pure literature book which shows the different kinds of literature such as poetry and others. It’s a collection of different scripts from different times, with no particular common style or form.

• The book “Revelations has other meanings” by Mohammad Othman Al-Khesht, which is part of “New Philosophy” series, issued by the general book authority in Egypt. The book talks about the differences in various religions, and the way revelation was shown in Jewish, Christianity and Islam. Also the differences in Abrahamic religions, which had the same origin, but drifted during its growth and reached a point of contradiction, at many times. It also shows other religions, which are attributed most of the times to legendary founder such as Hermes, and the religious and philosophical teachings of confidentiality which are attributed to him. The book wants to show the common and different aspects about them, also reveal the nature and types of revelations through the study of various scripts.

• The book “History of Egyptian economy: From Mohammad Ali era to Mubarak era” by the Egyptian writer Galal Amin, issued by “Al Shrouk” publishing house. The book goes through the history of Egyptian economy since the era of Mohammad Ali in the 19th century, his sons, and then what happened during the English occupation, then the revolution era with Abdelnasser and Sadat, and ending with Mubarak’s era. Through 13 chapters, the book goes through its main idea, which Egypt’s is trying to achieve economical independence which started in Mohammad Ali era, but it was always met with funding problems and foreign controlling attempts.

• The book “Israel and Palestine: Reevaluation and revision” by the writer and historian Avi Shlaim, and translated by Naser Afif, issued by the National center of translation in Egypt. This book is one of the special works, as the writer puts forth a new vision of the history of the Arabic/Israeli struggle. Avi Shlaim is considered one of the new pioneers in Israel who have a different vision concerning the Palestinian case.

• The book “Cairo: Mosques and stories” by Hamdy Abo Galil, issued by the general book authority in Egypt. This book could be considered an architectural tour through the history of Cairo’s mosques and their stories and how they were built, starting from its first foundation in Fustat until the 20th century.

• The book “Story of Hassan Tubar” by Ahmed Tubar which is part of the series “Story of Egypt” issued by the general book authority in Egypt. This writer managed to draw a realistic picture of one of most important events during the resistance against the French campaign, which is considered the first foreign challenge in Egypt’s modern history, in a simplified way in stating the facts focusing on Sheikh of Arab “Hassan Tubar”, who is one of the key figures in standing up to the French campaign.

New releases internationally:

• “How to get filthy rich in Rising Asia” by the Pakistani writer Mohsen Hamed, it’s partially a romantic story and partially a look on the costs and conditions of economic changes in Asia. This novel is about a boy and his journey from extreme poverty to being one of the most successful businessmen from selling water, along the way he falls in love with a woman who’s climbing up the social ladder, so that their roads cross many times across the novel.

• “Telling the Bees” which is the first novel by Peggy Hesketh, which is about Albert, a beekeeper who’s almost 80 years old, who’s spent his life single, but he have a complicated relationship with Claire. When Claire gets murdered in a robbery accident, Albert starts to remember their past and memories.

• “Dark Tide” Which is the second novel by Elizabeth Haynes, who is famous for her psychological mystery writings in United Kingdom. This novel talk about a woman named Genevieve, who’s saving to buy a floating house in order to start a new life. When she finally gets the house, she finds a dead body by the harbor, what’s interesting is that it’s the body of someone she knew during her secret job as a dancer, is it a coincidence, or there’s more?

• “Middle C” by the American writer William H. Gass which marks his comeback after his 17 years absence since his last work. This novel starts in Austria at1938 then moves to England then to Ohio. It’s the story of a man who fleets with his family to London to escape the Nazi rule upon his country, and then he mysteriously disappears. His family then goes to Ohio where his son grows up to be a piano prodigy, and starts suffering with immigration and identity conflicts.

• “A Thousand Pardons” novel by Jonathan Dee which follows the story of a woman, after her husband makes a mistake that destroys their family and everything they’ve worked for. She then moves with her daughter to New York and starts working in the public relations, but she still has to learn how to forgive and deal with her past and distant daughter. It’s worthy to note that Dee’s latest novels “The Privileges” managed to reach the finalist for Pulitzer Prize in 2011.

• “Six Years” by the novelist Harlaw Coben who writes a new type of thrillers. Six years is the period that went by after the woman who Jack loved married another man, Todd. Jack kept his promise to stay away from them but he never stopped loving Natalie. When he hears about Todd’s death, he goes to the funeral. There, he discovers that Natalie wasn’t Todd’s wife and that he has been tricked. In his attempt to find Natalie, everything he believed in becomes suspicious and his life becomes endangered.

• “The Burgess Boys” by Elizabeth Strout, it’s another work by this writer after winning Pulitzer for her novel “Olive Kitteridge”. This novel follows the story of two brothers whose father gets murdered in a strange incident. When they become adults they decide to go to New York, but they have to go back after their sister asks for their help with her son. Upon their return they have to deal with their past and family issues and complications.