Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Life and Lessons of a Young Author by Sunayna Prasad

The Life and Lessons of a Young Author by Sunayna Prasad

Reflections with instructions from a young writer, Sunayna Prasad’s manual, The Life and Lessons of a Young Author, is a solid source of information about creating books in the 21^st century.

By the time Prasad was 25, she had already had successes and failures in the complex, mostly online, world of writing and publishing. When she was a child she began writing stories, illustrating them with her own drawings. By third grade she had written a complete chapter book. Then followed a lull in her creative life, until age 16 when a full-blown idea came into her head […]

SPR2020-02-21T07:17:31+02:00August 23rd, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Non-Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: World, Incorporated by Tom Gariffo

World, Incorporated by Tom Gariffo

At the rate humans are progressing in terms of technological advancement and artificial intelligence, it seems inevitable that reality will be shaken to its foundations in the near future. In World, Incorporated: A Modern Dystopia, author Tom Gariffo takes us to that not-so-distant future, the year 2058, and spins a masterful tale where the line between man and machine has never been so blurred.

A handful of decades in the future, the face of the globe has irreparably changed, with corporations controlling and documenting every citizen on the planet. Individual identity still exists, but it no longer has the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-09-19T12:26:33+02:00August 22nd, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction Book Reviews, Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Imaginary Economy by Mario Fabbri

The Imaginary Economy by Mario Fabbri

A pioneering Italian businessman reveals hidden truths about the framework of modern economics in The Imaginary Economy: A New Conception.

Beginning with the proposition that standard economic theory is based on “egregious mathematical mistakes” that don’t fit with real life, author Mario Fabbri notes that economic growth in the US from its inception until now has been amazingly stable – 1.9% per annum. There have been some deviations, as during the Great Depression, but these quickly self-correct. Why then do economists and politicians continue to assert that a particular policy or method would make huge changes in our economy?[…]

SPR2022-03-25T05:43:48+02:00August 19th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Business Book Reviews, Economics Book Reviews, Finance Book Reviews|

Review: Burden of the Monarch: Blade of Rails by Josh Perry

Burden of the Monarch: Blade of Rails by Josh Perry

Burden of the Monarch: Blade of Rails by Josh Perry is a steampunkesque novel with a soldier that doesn’t consider himself a soldier any longer, mysterious demons living in a distressed town mine, a train that carries a community within its belly, and plenty of intrigue and action.

Readers are introduced to Bell in the first chapter as he sits on the edge of The Tristram – a three car, red and gold war-train which hovers above the prairie. His demeanor is calm and one wouldn’t know at first that he and his comrades are on their way to a […]

SPR2019-01-11T14:50:59+02:00August 14th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The Velvet Anthology, Edited by Fay Jacobs and Elizabeth Andersen

The Velvet Anthology

The Velvet Anthology is a wonderful collection of lesbian fiction and poetry with the central theme of including Velvet Lounger, a British reviewer and promoter of lesbian erotica.

Writers MJ Williamz, Annette Mori, Cheryl Head, Cheyne Curry, Karin Kallmaker, Erica Abbott, Donna K. Ford, Lee Lynch, Stefani Deoul and Ann McMan have given us “Velvet”-themed titles like “Velvet’s Touch,” “Velvet’s Guardian Angel,” “Naming Velvet,” “Rocky Horror Velvet,” “Black Velvet and That Little Boi Smile,” and other irresistible titles like “Seize Her Salad, “Fever” and “They Met at a Tea Dance in Texarkana.”

The stories are as creative as their titles. […]

Marta Cheng2018-09-13T12:27:35+02:00August 12th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: LGBTQI+ Book Reviews, Poetry Book Reviews, Short Stories Book Reviews|

Review: Three Days in Autumn by Robert Bartlett

Three Days in Autumn by Robert Bartlett

Three dramatic days condense the well-lived life of Cole Murphy, a custom motorcycle builder who reveals his character through a prism of random events that underscore his integrity and goodness in the evocative Three Days in Autumn by Robert Bartlett.

On a ride from Charlotte, North Carolina, to prepare his mountain home for a family visit, an accident blocks Cole’s bike and he’s thrown into a ravine. What comes next is a series of events that tests the big man’s strength as his family and law enforcement search clue by clue to find him.

With a cast of characters that […]

Greg Rideout2018-10-27T12:57:14+02:00August 7th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: The Legacy of King Jasteroth Vol. 1 by S.L. Wyllie

The Legacy of King Jasteroth by S.L. Wyllie

The Legacy of King Jasteroth by S.L. Wyllie is a wonderfully realized work of fantasy filled with magic, suspense, and romance. More geared toward a younger audience, readers will immediately fall in love with Princess Ariella and her tutor Austin – a half-elvish warrior – as they join them in their journey to harness Ariella’s powers, which are stronger than anyone realizes.

The daughter of the King of The Golden Peaks, Ariella is portrayed as the typical princess who is to be seen and not heard. As her mother is struck with an unknown illness that rapidly incapacitates her, Ariella […]

SPR2019-10-10T10:32:29+02:00August 6th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, YA Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Astronomy and Natural History Connections: From Darwin to Einstein by Barry Boyce

Astronomy and Natural History Connections: From Darwin to Einstein

Astronomy and Natural History Connections: From Darwin to Einstein by Barry Boyce constitutes a highly readable tour of the natural world from the earth to the heavens and beyond, led by a seasoned guide.

Barry Boyce developed his fascination for his vastly variegated subject matter when he first visited the Galápagos Islands and fell in love with the place. He is a natural teacher – his technique for imparting information combines a wide range of knowledge, a good ear for jargon and buzzwords, and a sharp wit.

The book opens as he is about to do something he has done […]

SPR2018-09-05T11:56:48+02:00August 5th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Book Reviews|