Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Happiness Journal by Viet Hung

The Happiness Journal by Viet Hung

An invitation to a more elevated form of living, The Happiness Journal by Viet Hung Nguyen is a thoughtful, comprehensive, and encouraging collection for those seeking change.

Composed of more than a decade of blog posts, and curated with an intuitive flow of ideas, this collection is full of uplifting and inspiring prose. As the author states in the foreword, the purpose of this book, and the entirety of their work, is “to inspire everyone to have a positive, well-rounded, peaceful, meaningful, fulfilled, energetic, and intense life.” The subsequent essays explore the tools and pathways to achieve such a life, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2023-03-11T18:31:05+02:00May 3rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: REACH by Nate Thurgood

Reach by Nate Thurgood

Author Nate Thurgood spells out his recently developed strategy for leveling up your life and achieving more with your talents in his new book REACH: Maximize Your Potential and Live Your Best Life. With a conversational tone, a healthy dose of humility, and a contemporary philosophy that considers our latest global challenges, this book confidently asserts itself as a relevant guide for today’s strange times.

The five focal areas at the core of this philosophy are “intentionally generic,” with goal-setting as the major foundation for change. Establishing a balance between one’s wellness, personal relationships, professional career, spiritual health, and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-05-26T02:41:07+02:00May 3rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: Easy Promises by Abby Reilly

Easy Promises by Abby Reilly

A twisting police procedural that pits two detectives against a group of smooth-talking Philadelphia lawyers, Abby Reilly’s Easy Promises is also a feisty interfamily drama that calls into question the nickname “City of Brotherly Love.”

When criminal defense attorney Sean Murphy is found tied up with his throat slit on his yacht the Lucky Lady, it’s not difficult to find a suspect: frankly, it’s harder to rule anyone out. Enter seasoned detective Joe Watson and his younger counterpart Patricia Malone – the Philly cops tasked with narrowing down a long list of potential perpetrators, including the many less-than-savory clients that […]

Michelle Hogmire2022-05-25T03:49:51+02:00April 22nd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Legal Thriller Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: The Yellow Sign by James Hodge

The Yellow Sign by James Hodge

A psychological spiral into desperation, belonging, and the painful road to healing, The Yellow Sign by James Hodge is a tense thriller that builds slow, but hits hard.

An FBI agent still recovering from the trauma of her last mission, Erica Blaine is the fiercely flawed heart of this drama. Despite the haunted past clawing at her heels, she is once again sent into unknown waters to gather intel on a spiritual school, The Yellow College, with growing numbers and some hallmark signs of manipulative behavior. As she slips into the strange patterns of the “school,” with their call-and-response worship, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-05-17T05:57:37+02:00April 21st, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Tell Me More by David W. Kolakowski

Tell Me More by David W. Kolakowski

Taking the terror out of public speaking through logic, preparation, and practice, Tell Me More: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting & Delivering Inspiring Presentations Fearlessly by David W. Kolakowski is a refreshing, real-world primer for anyone who gets nervous before getting behind a mic. In a book about perfecting and delivering top-tier presentations, the author cannot fail to meaningfully engage readers from the first page, or few readers would make it to the second chapter, but that is far from the case here.

The author is humble, yet meticulously knowledgeable, both in the physical act of delivering a great speech, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-04-21T05:21:35+02:00April 20th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Business Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: That Which Remains: Rouse by M. Tess Ossenelli

That Which Remains: Rouse by M. Tess Ossenelli

Diving deeper into a deadly mystery and the tragic ends we go to for the truth, That Which Remains: Rouse by M. Tess Ossenelli is an impressive second piece of this thrilling series.

Evan’s grief at his sister’s murder has driven him to dark and desperate corners, places he had tried to leave behind, even as his life is lit up with the hope of new love with Laci. The foundations of this future are anything but stable, as neither can free themselves from the horrors of the past.

Evan is relentless in his search for a transplant option and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-05-16T07:04:55+02:00April 19th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Romance Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Desperate by Narcisse Lorraine Moungounda Pemba

Desperate by Narcisse Lorraine Moungounda Pemba

A short but evocative novella that explores loss, forgiveness, and righteous revenge, Desperate by Narcisse Lorraine Moungounda Pemba is a stark and stunning read.

After discovering that what she knows of her past is far from the whole truth, Amy embarks on a dangerous plan to right the wrongs of her sinister stepmother, Tammy. On the night of their 18th wedding anniversary, Amy testifies to the years of psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of Tammy, escalating the war that has been brewing for years.

Amy finds allies in unlikely places, among those still loyal to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-05-16T02:43:24+02:00April 18th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Clouds Float South by Paul A. Broome

Clouds Float South by Paul A. Broome

Delicately skimming through two decades of life for one Tennessee family, Clouds Float South by Paul A. Broome is a subtly beautiful collection of interlinked stories about growing up and choosing who to become.

The broad time arc of this collection gives readers a piercing look into the Smith family as a whole, specifically via the experiences and dynamic youth of Alan, the narrator of these stories. His narrative voice also matures as the stories progress, from simplistic descriptions and observations to more lyrical, nuanced, and meaningful commentaries from his clever point of view. This seamless growth of the main […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-04-12T04:30:54+02:00April 12th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Short Stories Book Reviews|