Malvern Books
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Books Reviews 1,028 results
Homegrown: Austin Music Posters 1967-1982
The formative years of Austin's vaunted live music scene spawned a visual soundtrack
Reviewed by Doug Freeman, Music, May. 28, 2015
It's a Long Story: My Life
Austin outlaw Willie Nelson updates his 1988 autobiography
Reviewed by Tim Stegall, Music, May. 28, 2015
Brand New Ancients and Hold Your Own
UK poet-rapper Kate Tempest screams in both prose and meter
Reviewed by Jay Trachtenberg, Music, May. 28, 2015
See Hear Yoko
Yoko Ono in pictures
Reviewed by Neph Basedow, Music, May. 28, 2015
Be Stiff: The Stiff Records Story
Another micro UK label with macro influence
Reviewed by Michael Toland, Music, May. 28, 2015
NYHC: New York Hardcore 1980-1990
Hardcore demanded history, so here it pounds
Reviewed by Marc Savlov, Music, May. 28, 2015
Anger Is an Energy: My Life Uncensored
Johnny Rotten's second autobiography picks up from the Pistols' demise and pistons into the present
Reviewed by Tim Stegall, Music, May. 28, 2015
Lou Reed: The Last Interview and Other Conversations
Thirty years of final grouses from a New Yorker
Reviewed by Kahron Spearman, Music, May. 28, 2015
I Fought the Law: The Life and Strange Death of Bobby Fuller
West Texan law fighter's mysterious death remains just that
Reviewed by Greg Beets, Music, May. 28, 2015
Brian Jones: The Making of the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones' sacrificial lamb receives an overdue close-up
Reviewed by Tim Stegall, Music, May. 28, 2015
No Simple Highway: A Cultural History of the Grateful Dead
A long strange trip contextualized
Reviewed by Kevin Curtin, Music, May. 28, 2015
Talk That Music Talk: Passing on Brass Band Music in New Orleans the Traditional Way
Coffeetable book on New Orleans? Dense ethnography and oral history of Crescent City brass bands!
Reviewed by Thomas Fawcett, Music, May. 28, 2015
Beale Street Dynasty
Historical overview of Memphis' legendary music row
Reviewed by Nina Hernandez, Music, May. 28, 2015
John Prine, In Spite of Himself
Unauthorized bio isn't even helped by its own subject
Reviewed by Kevin Curtin, Music, May. 28, 2015
Throwing Frisbees at the Sun: A Book About Beck
Fanboy Beck tome
Reviewed by Neph Basedow, Music, May. 28, 2015
Words Without Music: A Memoir
Famed Austin composer appraises the autobiography of Philip Glass, father of the modern classical avant-garde
Reviewed by Graham Reynolds, Music, May. 28, 2015
Behemoth: Devil's Conquistadors and Confessions of a Heretic: The Sacred and the Profane – Behemoth and Beyond
A lavish diary of Poland's black metal breakout Behemoth, and a book-length Q&A defense of frontman Adam Darski
Reviewed by Raoul Hernandez, Music, May. 28, 2015
Barefoot Dogs
A Mexico City family scatters to the wind when its patriarch goes missing
Reviewed by Jesse Sublett, Arts, Apr. 30, 2015
Hausfrau
This first novel is about the desperation of a depressed expat housewife in Switzerland
Reviewed by Jessi Cape, Arts, Apr. 30, 2015
Into the Field: A Foreign Correspondent's Notebook
A UT professor recounts his three decades of reporting in Asia
Reviewed by Jesse Sublett, Arts, Apr. 30, 2015
Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose
This nonfiction account of a teen's encounters with sex, drugs, and jail is one long, raw primal scream
Reviewed by Tim Stegall, Arts, Dec. 31, 2014
Brainquake
Sam Fuller's last novel is the perfect cap on his legacy of true-to-life, flamboyant, high-impact storytelling
Reviewed by Tim Stegall, Arts, Dec. 23, 2014
The Making of Gone With the Wind
This account of the cinematic epic's epic creation is as full of drama and memorable characters as the film itself
Reviewed by Robert Faires, Arts, Dec. 16, 2014
Boyhood: Twelve Years on Film
This photographic record of Richard Linklater's landmark film shows a lot going on before and behind the camera
Reviewed by Jesse Sublett, Arts, Dec. 16, 2014
On the Road With Texas Highways: A Tribute to True Texas
The vibrant images of Texas taken by J. Griffis Smith will have you wanting to drive across the state yourself
Reviewed by Robert Faires, Arts, Dec. 16, 2014
The Devil's Backbone
Bill Wittliff's debut novel is a picaresque tale with a "Lucky Heart"
Reviewed by Joe O'Connell, Arts, Dec. 4, 2014
Penelope Fitzgerald: A Life
This meticulous biography paints a stunning portrait of the late-blooming English author
Reviewed by Melanie Haupt, Arts, Nov. 26, 2014
Joan of Arc: A Life Transfigured
Kathryn Harrison's look at Joan of Arc and her cultural legacy seeks to redefine this heroine for a new generation
Reviewed by Anne Harris, Arts, Nov. 26, 2014
Elsa Schiaparelli: A Biography
Fashion takes a backseat in this biography of the storied designer, but it's an illuminating ride anyway
Reviewed by Brandon Watson, Arts, Nov. 26, 2014
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story
Barbara Leaming's new biography makes the case that Jackie O suffered from PTSD
Reviewed by Amy Smith, Arts, Nov. 26, 2014
The Secret History of Wonder Woman
The origins of America's favorite Amazon are recounted with witty prose and superheroic scholarship
Reviewed by Rosalind Faires, Arts, Nov. 26, 2014
Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace
Anne Lamott's collection of essays offer prime examples of her crystalline insights and wicked wit
Reviewed by Virginia B. Wood, Arts, Nov. 26, 2014
PRO: Reclaiming Abortion Rights and The Birth of the Pill
Jonathan Eig's breezy history of the Pill is engaging, but Katha Pollitt's argument for abortion rights is indispensible
Reviewed by Michael King, Arts, Nov. 26, 2014
Carsick
Reviewed by Tim Stegall, Arts, Nov. 6, 2014
The Flatlanders: Now It's Now Again
West Texas Beatles finally have their tale told
Reviewed by Jim Caligiuri, Music, Oct. 23, 2014
2am at the Cat's Pajamas
Jazz in the life and night of a 9-year-old
Reviewed by Neph Basedow, Music, Oct. 23, 2014
I Love You Too
Reggae scion’s call and response
Reviewed by Raoul Hernandez, Music, Oct. 23, 2014
Perfidia
The first book in this new L.A. Quartet shows new depth, scope, and craftsmanship in James Ellroy's canon
Reviewed by Tim Stegall, Arts, Oct. 23, 2014
The Zone of Interest
Martin Amis revisits the Holocaust in this new novel, which is eloquent and yet lacks depth
Reviewed by Amy Kamp, Arts, Oct. 23, 2014
Love Me Back
Merritt's Tierce's novel isn't for the faint of heart, but it tells of a young woman's survival with boldness and power
