Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Adi’s Animal Adventures by Julie Schanke Lyford, Illustrated by Mariia Luzina

Adi's Animal Adventures by Julie Schanke Lyford

Adi’s Animal Adventures by Julie Schanke Lyford is a fun and informative illustrated book that shows the great importance of inspiring younger generations to respect nature. Through vibrant illustrations, easy-to-follow text, and fascinating info, this book offers a colorful and accessible guide to many animal species and the environments in which they thrive.

Adi’s public school is truly unique – it’s the home to over a thousand animals, and Adi and her team take care of many different specimens in an entertaining and wild day at school, revealing fascinating facts about the animal kingdom along the way. Did you know […]

SPR2023-12-01T15:24:53+02:00November 30th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Children's Book Reviews|

Review: Things That Go Bump in the Night by JC Bratton

Things That Go Bump in the Night by JC Bratton

A collection of slow-burning psychological horror, Things That Go Bump in the Night, Volume One: Urban Legends by JC Bratton holds four chilling and unpredictable stories, originally published separately.

In “Who’s At the Door?” a young woman named Jamie is left at home while her parents go on vacation, but two weeks of enjoying an empty house quickly turn terrifying. Whether it’s a cruel prank or something even more sinister, bizarre things keep happening at 3:33 AM, from invisible front door visitors to ghastly appearances on empty country roads. With the help of Mark the heartthrob, Jamie continues peeling back […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-11-29T19:35:15+02:00November 29th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Short Stories Book Reviews|

Review: The Utterly Sublime Adventures of Ava Roberts by Lisa Frederickson

The Utterly Sublime Adventures of Ava Roberts by Lisa Frederickson

Vibrantly written and irresistibly funny, The Utterly Sublime Adventures of Ava Roberts by Lisa Frederickson is a novel about love and the healing powers of traveling. From Goa to Sydney, Thailand to South Africa, 29-year-old Ava learns that stepping out of her comfort zone is the best thing she could ever do.

Reading like Eat, Pray, Love with a funnier narrative voice and an LGBT focus, this book is a must-read for those who love adventurous travel writing, spiritual memoirs, and love stories. Thanks to the novel taking the form of fiction, diary, and blog, the narrative has an engaging […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-11-22T18:38:08+02:00November 22nd, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, LGBTQI+ Book Reviews|

Review: Our Cats Are Plotting to Kill Us by Jim Tilberry

Our Cats Are Plotting to Kill Us by Jim Tilberry

Peeking into the wild internal world of house cats, Our Cats Are Plotting to Kill Us by Jim Tilberry is a witty wander to the edge of the absurd.

When Julie signs up for Elon Musk’s new Cat Chat app, she and her doubtful husband find themselves able to spy on the telepathic communications of Oliver and Wendell, their two feline friends. Not only have their pets given them a variety of insulting nicknames, but they also have a laundry list of grievances, from their hatred of closed doors and being picked up to “Blondie’s” awful perfume and “Dagwood’s” tacky […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-02-01T13:24:48+02:00November 22nd, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Humor|

Review: Marie’s Nutcracker by Margaret Marie Klenzing

Marie's Nutcracker by Margaret Marie Klenzing

Marie’s Nutcracker by Margaret Marie Klenzing is a fun and refreshingly honest novel about the hardship that ambitious ballet dancers must face in their pursuit of perfection. Set in the snowy Northeast, this beautifully written novel will charm readers with its genuine and gentle prose and enchanting wintry landscape.

Marie is a teenager for whom dancing is her whole life, and she’s set to participate in the annual production of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” run by her town’s dance studio at Christmastime. As the title beautifully encapsulates, this production of “The Nutcracker” is more than a simple show to Marie, but it […]

Marina Dora Martino2024-01-24T19:27:50+02:00November 15th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Audiobook Review: The Eyes of Penn by Richard Carlton London

The Eyes of Penn by Richard Carlton London

Surprising in its sensitivity, creativity, and heart, The Johnsons: The Eyes of Penn by Richard Carlton London is an entertaining and innovative literary experience about a resilient group of passionate musicians navigating the tricky landscape of success, happiness, and morality. Beyond the engaging plot, this audiobook is specifically tailored for those with listening and cognitive challenges, giving it an added level of appeal.

A local rock bank in Philadelphia, The Johnsons have four very unique members – Charts the bass player, JJ on guitar, Frankie on lead vocals, and Hoss the drummer. With a huge payoff on the table from […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-01-15T16:39:24+02:00November 13th, 2023|Categories: Audiobook Reviews, Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Prompt Excursion by Lewis S. Kingston

Prompt Excursion by Lewis S. Kingston

A Weapons System Officer wakes up to fractured memories on a devastated and nearly lifeless experimental warship in Prompt Excursion by Lewis S. Kingston, a creative and original work of science fiction.

Johansson is a captivating and fearless protagonist from the very first page, showing a relentless drive to survive, despite nearly impossible odds. As she navigates the clutter and chaos of her slowly returning memories, she begins to piece things together – a mission gone wrong and an explosive attack, which has left her alone on a strange ship, lost in the vastness of space. Sending calls for aid […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-01-12T13:09:49+02:00October 30th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Magi Apprentice by Dan E. Hendrickson

Magi Apprentice by Dan E. Hendrickson

A narrative clash of mysticism, science, geopolitics, and biblical lore, Magi Apprentice by Dan E. Hendrickson is a unique piece of historical fiction, exploring the religious sects, governments, and individuals who likely played a part in the star-driven journey to the birthplace of Jesus.

Rassan is a young military officer and friend to Prince Phraates, heir to the Parthian Empire. When a rogue magi embarks on a secret pilgrimage to Jerusalem, through Parthian lands, Rassan is sent to meet him on the road, only to find that his caravan has been attacked by bandits. The magi’s final wish sends Rassan […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-10-25T11:22:59+02:00October 24th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, Religious Fiction Book Reviews|