Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Oarsman by Zubin Mathai

★★★★★

Many authors attempt to bridge the gap between metaphysical, philosophical and narrative elements, but few succeed as effectively as Zubin Mathai in The Oarsman. This is a novel that stands out of time and space, and brings readers on a surreal journey back up the long river of the Man’s years, a nameless protagonist seeking meaning and validation as he nears the end of his life.

At the behest of the god-like Judge and with the help of the mysterious, titular Oarsman, the Man sails back upstream, through the many different lives he has led, including those abandoned […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-02-17T05:38:24+02:00January 19th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Literary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The You in You by Wilbert Hunt

Human beings have long been fascinated by the idea of something beyond this world; whether you want to call it the afterlife, a higher consciousness or even another dimension, it perennially intrigues the imagination. In The You in You, author Wilbert Hunt explains his own relationship to this other realm, accessed through out-of-body experiences.

Hunt methodically takes readers through the story of his life, making claims and suggesting possibilities that are absolutely incredible, according to the most basic definition of that word. For example, within the first ten pages, readers are posed a series of questions: “What would […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-02-11T09:52:08+02:00January 16th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: New Age Book Reviews, Spirituality Book Reviews|

Review: Detention Land (Book 1) by Susan Orion

★★★★ Detention Land (Book 1) by Susan Orion

Detention Land by Susan Orion is a wholly unique and affecting young adult novel about Roger Prism, who’s trapped in a prison of his own making. Roger keeps acting out at school, including drawing his teacher on a blackboard in permanent ink, which lands him in the strange zone dubbed Detention Land, in which a woman’s voice behind the wall probes Roger about his misdeeds. This limbo reflects Roger’s own mind, and his feeling of being trapped in his life, and he must come to a better understanding of himself if he’s ever going to be free of Detention […]

Lysa Grant2017-02-17T05:40:52+02:00January 14th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: God, Grace, Dumb Luck by Phloyd Knucklez

God, Grace, Dumb Luck by Phloyd Knucklez

In God, Grace, Dumb Luck, Phloyd Knucklez writes self-deprecating urban prose that explores the connections between his experiences with women, and snapshots of life in short story form with down-on-their-luck characters.

In a way, this is a difficult book to read because it’s not entirely clear if the writer understands how deeply depressed he is, even if his expectations for life are so low as to wear his distress and apathy as a badge of honor. His characters seem to reflect memories and situations he himself has been in, or search for meaning in their dark and squalid settings.[…]

Cate Baum2019-02-11T09:18:45+02:00January 13th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Poetry Book Reviews, Short Stories Book Reviews|

Review: Littles by Tate Thomson

★★★★★ Littles by Tate Thomson

Littles by Tate Thomson is a charming children’s book for very young kids (3-5) about all of the bugs around us. Using just a few words a page, and enormously expressive illustrations, this is a book that is full of energy that kids will want to come back to again and again. It would also work very well as a starting point for new readers.

Each page is a feast with visual puns that mesh perfectly with the text. Thomson shows how the littlest ones around us survive and thrive in a sometimes challenging world (a bug evading a […]

Lysa Grant2017-01-27T11:16:36+02:00January 12th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Children's Book Reviews|

Review: Of Endings and Beginnings by Robert Speigel

★★★★

Understanding why we behave, feel, react and survive the way we do has been a subject of fascination since the dawn of self-awareness. The endless debate of nurture vs. nature, research into the essence of being human, and concerns of destiny and fate have always intrigued our species. In Of Endings and Beginnings: A Memoir of Discovery and Transformation, author Robert Speigel paints a beautiful, tragic, optimistic and brutally honest picture of existence, and also shares a number of tools and strategies to overcome the darkness in your own life, and control the beliefs that will otherwise control […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-02-17T05:41:23+02:00January 12th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: Becoming the Wolf by R.H. Neil

★★★★ Becoming the Wolf by R.H. Neil

Certain thrillers have the ring of truth to them, which is often the case with authors who have had storied lives of their own. This is definitely true of R.H. Neil, the author of Becoming the Wolf – the first installment of a gripping new detective series.

The premise of a hardworking police officer who feels trapped by the rules of the badge is hardly original, but for JD Ward, the main character of this novel, giving up simply isn’t an option. When he realizes that some criminals simply can’t be brought to justice in a traditional way, he […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-01-31T12:40:24+02:00January 11th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Fused: A Memoir of Childhood OCD and Adult Obsession by Dr. James Manning

Any honest and open take on mental disorders can be a challenge to read and understand, as there is still so much that is unknown. These conditions can also be some of the scariest things to discuss, particularly for someone suffering through them, as they can open you up to harsh judgment and hard questions to which no one knows the answer. In Fused, Dr. James Manning strips away much of the mystery that still cloaks mental disorders – primarily OCD – by telling the story of his own life with the condition. Over the course of the book, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-02-11T09:40:26+02:00January 11th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Psychology Book Reviews|