Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Dissident (Forbidden Things #1) by Nikki McCormack ★★★★★

Dissident: Forbidden Things Book One by Nikki McCormack is a rollicking epic fantasy novel.

Indigo has great power, but her country, Caithin, has placed severe limitations on the use of ascard, which can strengthen, heal, and create. It can also destroy. Indigo, an orphan from a disgraced family, is engaged to an abusive and jealous man and is afraid to leave him because of her tenuous situation in society.

Yiloch, the prince of Lyra, wants to overthrow the mad emperor, who is also Yiloch’s father.

When Indigo and Yiloch meet their lives change as well as the fate of […]

T B Markinson2016-01-12T08:44:10+02:00December 30th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: My Father’s Son: A Memoir by John Davis

★★★★½

My Father’s Son: A Memoir by John Davis is the harrowing yet riveting story Davis’ tumultuous and abusive childhood at the hands of his father, who was a high-powered cocaine dealer in Brooklyn, and a complete tyrant with Davis at home. Even after his father left the house, he gets replaced with a series of other tyrants, so Davis never had it easy, but still managed to come out ahead with an amazing strength and warmth of spirit. My Father’s Son is at once heartbreaking and uplifting with a dramatic climax that you’ll never see coming.

What makes the […]

Henry Baum2016-03-04T03:53:18+02:00December 30th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Spare Me the Drama by Karen Tomsovic ★★★★

Spare Me the Drama: A City Lights Romance Book 1, by Karen Tomsovic, is a heart-warming story about second chances.

Martin Leon has a lot on his plate. His wife died from a tragic accident and now he’s supporting eight kids. He’s the head writer of a daytime soap opera. His responsibilities at home and at work are equally demanding. He realizes he nearly forgot to invite Roxanne to a birthday party for one of the kids.

Roxanne Hunter, a former actress on the soap opera, is now a successful business woman. However, she’s been unfortunate in love and […]

T B Markinson2019-01-22T05:58:17+02:00December 30th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Chick Lit Book Reviews, Romance Book Reviews, Women's Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Busker’s Holiday by Adam Gussow ★★★★★

Busker’s Holiday by Adam Gussow is a fictionalized account of busking in the streets of Europe over one summer. Filled with a great passion for the Blues, and lyrical evocations of European life, it reads like a Beat Generation novel for a new generation. If you have a love of music, a love of travel, and a love of eccentricity, Busker’s Holiday is an exhilarating read.

Given that Gussow is an acclaimed harmonica player himself, with a popular how-to YouTube channel and a non-fiction book about busking in Harlem, there is little doubt that this book is a veiled memoir, […]

Henry Baum2019-01-22T15:39:31+02:00December 29th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Sharky Marky and the Scavenger Hunt by Lance Olsen ★★★★

Sharky Marky and the Scavenger Hunt (An Alphabetic Adventure) finds Sharky Marky in a car race as he races to find different items in a scavenger hunt, each corresponding to a letter in the alphabet. Written in rhyming verse, it’s a sweet, good-natured children’s book with colorful and detailed illustrations.

Like Sharky Marky and the Big Race, Scavenger Hunt begins with a stoplight countdown. Sharky Marky then races to the finish line to find each item in the alphabet. First, Sharky sees some algae (“Marky scoops up some Algae, his first on the list. As he speeds by Eddy […]

Henry Baum2016-01-12T10:22:04+02:00December 29th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Children's Book Reviews|

Review: Sharky Marky and the Big Race by Lance Olsen

★★★★½

Sharky Marky and the Big Race is a fun children’s book for ages 3-5 about a racecar-driving shark as he races against a collection of sea creatures. The book teaches counting, as the child is entertainingly instructed to count down from ten for every car Sharky Marky passes. Along the way, a couple participants attempt to derail Sharky Marky by puncturing his tires and spraying ink in his face, but Sharky Marky is triumphant in the end.

The narrative is very reminiscent of Pixar – sort of “Finding Nemo” meets “Cars.” That’s not a criticism, because who doesn’t love […]

Henry Baum2016-03-04T03:53:50+02:00December 29th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Children's Book Reviews|

Review: Detour Amour (Detour Paris Series Book 3) by Jack Dancer ★★★★★

Detour Amour, by Jack Dancer, is the stunning conclusion to the Detour Paris series.

Tucker Blue is not playing Mr. Nice Guy anymore. The woman he loves is still being held captive and his enemies have pushed him too far. Tucker wants to destroy them, but he’s an advertising guy, not Rambo.

Tucker turns to unconventional means to out his nemesis in an attempt to rescue his princess. Will his plan work? And at what cost?

The main ingredients of the series thus far has been humorous unpredictability and crazy escapades. This series is creative, entertaining, and cringe-worthy. After […]

T B Markinson2016-01-13T11:17:47+02:00December 27th, 2015|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Action and Adventure Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Art on the Human Heart by Paul C. Ho, M.D. ★★★★

Art on the Human Heart by Paul C. Ho is the story of a cardiologist who has a heart attack, which makes him re-evaluate his life. It also makes him re-evaluate the medical profession, as he attempts to understand what affects the human heart well beyond medical science. Going through his life as a young immigrant, a failed relationship, a stint being a doctor in the Alaskan wilderness, his personal mysticism, and more, the doctor comes to a greater understanding of the human heart than he had before his illness.