Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Four Year Hitch by Don Cox

The Four Year Hitch by Don Cox

A heartwarming novel that plays with narrative stereotypes about love and happy endings, The Four Year Hitch by Don Cox is an affecting work of romantic contemporary fiction. Although the main characters are clearly destined to be together, circumstances and individual mistakes keep them apart for a long time, making this tender piece of fiction feel as romantic as rooted in reality.

Joshua and Julie have been best friends since they were seven years old. They know everything about each other, all the little quirks, dreams, and secrets, starting from their big life aspirations all the way down to […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-09-14T16:14:46+02:00August 1st, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Where Martyrs Rise Snowflakes Don’t Fall by Albert M. Jabara

Where Martyrs Rise Snowflakes Don’t Fall by Albert Jabara

A fictional manifesto plumbing the lyrical depths of spirituality, the horrors of history, and the contradictions of human existence, Where Martyrs Rise Snowflakes Don’t Fall by Albert M. Jabara is a confident and belief-challenging read, offering an eye-opening blend of religious theory, philosophical narrative, poetic exploration, and historical analysis.

Yunus Nef’i is the main protagonist of this novel – a philosopher, scholar, poet, journalist, and author – who has spent his life fighting for the oppressed and overlooked, examining the faults of the world with his caustic and fearless pen. Some chapters read as a memoir, digging into Yunus’ experiences […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-09-06T16:05:17+02:00July 30th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Religious Book Reviews, Social Science Book Reviews|

Review: Broken Sky by John Harvey

Broken Sky by John Harvey

Pushing the boundaries of YA science fiction, Broken Sky by John Harvey is the spectacular first installment of the Cirrus Chronicles saga.

A young mechanical genius who prefers the company of machines far more than people, Jack Scatter is a classic sci-fi protagonist – an outsider youth with untapped but impressive skills pulled into an epic adventure that will decide the fate of two worlds. One of those worlds is Cirrus, a massive Earth-like space station positioned on the opposite side of the Sun, where Jack lives, and the other is humanity’s home world itself, which is prophesied to end […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-09-05T12:24:36+02:00July 17th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Karl Myers by Jeff Lee

Karl Myers by Jeff Lee

An instantly immersive story of innocence lost and justice miscarried, Karl Myers by Jeff Lee is a patiently profound piece of 1950s fiction – a visceral, dark, and poignant drama, which offers a snapshot of a sinister time that America has yet to fully escape.

Karl Myers is a melancholic ex-Marine police chief with a stack of regrets, an unwavering hunger for justice, and a raised eyebrow at the backwards beliefs that still flourish in the town he calls home. Jerry Peterman is a scarred veteran with a quick temper and no tolerance for weakness, let alone disobedience, from either […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-07-18T15:42:58+02:00July 12th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Light Within Darkness by David C. Jeffrey

The Light Within Darkness by David C. Jeffrey

Pushing the sci-fi adventure genre and this ambitious series into uncharted space, The Light Within Darkness by David C. Jeffrey is a tremendous third chapter in the Space Unbound saga.

The voidoid portals may be safe from destruction for now, but the greatest threat to humanity has fled into the unknown chasm of space, gathering power and hiding from the Alliance. Aiden Macallan is more than the intrepid mission commander sent to find this existential enemy – he is also seeking his own long-awaited revenge against Cardew, the monster responsible for his mother’s death.

The scrappy crew of the Sun […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-08-29T13:43:01+02:00July 3rd, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Across the Divide by Elizabeth Bernays

Across the Divide by Elizabeth Bernays

A charming memoir by entomologist and writer Elizabeth Bernays, Across the Divide: The Strangest Love Affair explores new forms of love later in life. Joyful, but also profound and reflective, the book is an enchanting and memorable read that mixes levity with deep emotion.

With eloquent and engaging prose, Bernays tells of her complex and beautiful relationship with a married woman in her 50s. Linda and Elizabeth fell in love despite their differences, after both had been married to men. Both of them led successful careers and had experienced loving marriages, but they couldn’t be more different as people, and […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-08-24T13:31:57+02:00June 29th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: LGBTQI+ Book Reviews, Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: Searching for Charles by Stephen Watts

Searching for Charles by Stephen Watts

Taking readers on a historic journey across the Atlantic and into the burgeoning American continent, Searching for Charles: The Untold Legacy of an Immigrant’s American Adventure by Stephen Watts is a stunning portrait of the past.

In 1835, Charles Watts left the oppressive gloom of Dickensian London in search of a better life in the nascent nation of the United States. What followed were years of curious exploration, keen observation, and diligent letter-writing that captured the energy, emotions, and events of that formative period in American history.

This book serves a number of purposes, and will appeal to a variety […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-08-23T12:11:00+02:00June 20th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Biography Book Reviews, History Book Reviews|

Review: Unlock Happiness by Mastering the Self by Shobeir Shobeyri

Unlock Happiness By Mastering The Self by Shobeir Shobeyri

A spiritual meditation focused on achieving balance, harmony, and self-control, Unlock Happiness by Mastering the Self by Shobeir Shobeyri is an original and comprehensive take on self-help. Deploying an accessible and aphoristic style, Shobeyri details his philosophy on life with the same clarity and control he recommends readers put into their own lives.

The book begins with Shobeyri’s vision of the human self as divided into body, soul, and mind. The body is the locus of action: physical wants push us to achieve, and satisfy the needs of remaining alive. The soul has more elevated desires, which in its turn […]

Marina Dora Martino2023-08-17T10:01:06+02:00June 16th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|