Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: From Bonham to Buddha and Back Again by Clementine Moss

From Bonham to Buddha and Back Again by Clementine Moss

The rare kind of memoir that makes one forget it’s not a novel, From Bonham to Buddha and Back Again: The Slow Enlightenment of the Hard Rock Drummer by Clementine Moss is an exhilarating and enlightening read.

Slowly revealing the autobiographical puzzle of her own music-infused life, from wild leaps to NYC, meditative mountain retreats, and early romance over drum kits to cross-country tours, sleepless benders, and bittersweet final shows, this book is laced with reckless adventure. Taking readers backstage in every sense of the word, the prose lays everything on the table – beliefs, passions, secrets, dreams, and the […]

Review: Dancer on the Ceiling by Mark Nutter

Dancer on the Ceiling by Mark Nutter

A gleefully bizarre collection of stories, Dancer on the Ceiling: More Darkly Humorous Tales by Mark Nutter is an unforgettable work of absurdist fiction that will have you scratching your head and laughing in equal measure. Abandoning the normal boundaries of narrative structure, character consistency, or reality itself, this is tongue-in-cheek writing at its best.

There are stories of divinely gifted carpet artists, a massage master who can coax life back into a severed limb, a casino fat cat who markets to children, and a size-obsessed billboard baron, just to name a few of the oddities scattered in Nutter’s strange […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-12-18T14:58:17+02:00October 18th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Humor, Short Stories Book Reviews|

Review: Thalondor: Kingdom of Legends by Shane Lege

Thalondor: Kingdom of Legends by Shane Lege

A hero from a strange land arrives to fulfill an ancient prophecy and save a magical realm from annihilation in Thalondor: Kingdom of Legends by Shane Lege, a classic clash of good and ultimate evil.

Awakening in a bewildered state, with only scraps of his memory intact, Valaric is mysteriously dropped into an unknown realm, where shadowy danger and confusion haunt his every step. However, after finding a treasure chest of supplies, weapons, and gold, this destiny-bound hero plunges eagerly into the throes of any adventure that may come.

Gathering companions in the forest along the way, such as Whisperwind […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-10-20T15:27:28+02:00October 16th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Resilient by Liz Grace

Resilient by Liz Grace

Offering living proof that there is light in the darkness, even if the tunnel never ends, author Liz Grace has penned an inspiring and unforgettable autobiography in Resilient: Surviving My Mental Illness.

In her teenage years, Grace struggled with the sudden loss of her mother, a fractured home where communication was scarce, and the isolation led to suicidal ideation and desperation. The book moves through various events and challenges of her young adulthood, creating a comprehensive picture of her family dynamics, social outlets, and pain points, buttressed by actual transcriptions of her journal entries from all those years ago.[…]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-12-11T15:02:31+02:00October 16th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Psychology Book Reviews|

Review: Before the Dawn by David Crane

Before the Dawn by David Crane

A multilayered piece of fantasy that plays with horror and thriller tropes, Before the Dawn by David Crane is a vivid and intense novel with a long list of memorable characters. This ingenious book will give readers a taste of a wholly original vampire universe – a wonderful example of world-building that surprises, moves, and prompts the reader to think about our everyday world.

In a cold New York that is both dangerous and mundane, Cindy and Frank get to know each other at night. Cindy, a 150-year-old vampire that is stuck forever at the age of thirteen, and Frank, […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-11-22T19:02:31+02:00October 12th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Vampires Book Reviews|

Review: Involuntary Flashback by Dave Garrett

Involuntary Flashback by Dave Garrett

Tapping into a classic noir vibe with a good dose of contemporary flair, Involuntary Flashback by Dave Garrett is a fast-talking, razor-sharp Big Apple mystery.

An old-school private investigator “on the top of the endangered list,” Rod Weyhengrubber is a reckless and charming protagonist with a soft spot for the vulnerable and easily manipulated. A town full of promise and desperation keeps him plenty busy, particularly the recent rash of disappearances of hopeful starlets and young dreamers. When a young ingenue named Lilly seeks sanctuary with Rod and his partner, Ida, it becomes a race to crack the case before […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-01-25T10:45:55+02:00October 3rd, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Detective Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: In the Shadow of the Sun by Poli Flores Jr.

A touching tale of brotherly devotion and the life-altering consequences of war, In the Shadow of the Sun by Poli Flores Jr. is an outback California drama that echoes across small-town American life.

In the shifting cultural landscape of the Vietnam era, a young man named Curt leaves for war as a musclebound titan, but returns as a troubled and broken soul, unprepared for the very different battles that still lay ahead. When a respected member of the community is bludgeoned to death shortly after his return, the clues and suspicions all seem to point toward Curt.

With corrupt law […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-09-29T12:18:09+02:00September 29th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Expraedium by Armen Melikian

Expraedium by Armen Melikian

Defying structure, narrative decorum, and often logical thought itself, Expraedium by Armen Melikian is a hero’s journey like no other, a radical adventure of reinvention, leading to a reframing of language and the very nature of storytelling.

In search of Urmashu, a legendary republic of immortals, Brathki embarks on a surreal quest, without apparent destination or clear purpose, baffling the reader as much as the protagonist, as the narrative plays with the boundaries of reality and time. Melikian’s writing blurs prose, poetry, and inscrutable languages of sign and symbol, and if bold readers can decipher the paradoxical gymnastics of this […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-11-14T12:58:43+02:00September 28th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Literary Fiction Book Reviews|