Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: A Hush at Midnight by Marlene M. Bell

A Hush at Midnight by Marlene M. Bell

A small-town Texas mystery with a dizzying array of twists, A Hush at Midnight by Marlene M. Bell is a cleverly crafted thriller that will keep you guessing.

Returning home to East Texas to be near her parents and leaving her job as a celebrity chef behind, Laura Harris is struggling to find her new niche. After visiting her mentor and dear friend, Hattie Stenburg, a fearless WWII ferry pilot and community legend, Laura is shocked to return only hours later to find her friend brutally murdered. Determined to dig into the crime and uncover the truth, the tables turn […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-11-05T08:58:33+02:00October 24th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews|

Review: Developing Authentic Leaders by Jennifer Jensen

Developing Authentic Leaders by Jennifer Jensen

Providing support for aspiring leaders to be both open-minded and effective, Developing Authentic Leaders: A Practical Guide for All Leaders by Jennifer Jensen is an engaging and effective work of leadership self-help. Written in clear prose and a professional tone, this book is an easy-to-navigate guide, which is both practical and forward-thinking.

Early on, the book makes clear that the journey to becoming an authentic leader is paved with intimate reflection, self-awareness, and genuine personal change. Addressing the challenges that one can encounter at work, she offers communication strategies, tips on how to improve one’s own flexibility, and ways of […]

Marina Dora Martino2024-10-24T17:22:28+02:00October 24th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Leadership Book Reviews|

Review: I Paid to Play the Game by Russell Rosen

I Paid to Play the Game by Russell Rosen

Tracing the unexpected journey of an aspiring baseball star, I Paid to Play the Game by Russell Rosen is a touchingly honest memoir, reflecting on growing up, following your dreams, and embracing even the hardest truths.

As a child, the author loved every facet of America’s pastime, following the local teams’ exploits in the newspaper and eagerly awaiting the next time his family would catch a game. Playing on an organized team wasn’t an option until his late teens – well past the typical age for a serious pursuit at going pro.

Even so, Rosen dedicated himself to the dream, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-11-04T18:34:17+02:00October 23rd, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Sports Book Reviews|

Review: The Keepers of the Light by Trevor A. Dutcher

The Keepers of the Light by Trevor Dutcher

A coming-of-age adventure shining a light on the goodness and grace that makes the world go round, The Keepers of the Light by Trevor A. Dutcher is a riveting new YA read, and an entertaining first book in the Logan LeVec series.

Logan LeVec is navigating all the perils of sixth-grade life, from persistent bullies and paralyzing crushes on his neighbor to clumsy lunchroom disasters and embarrassing oral reports, but his seemingly normal life is about to change in ways he never expected. Though Logan’s parents would never believe or approve, the wild stories that his grandfather has been telling […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-10-15T13:39:42+02:00October 15th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: YA Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: The Black Wall Of Silence Part IV by George H. Butcher III

The Black Wall Of Silence Part IV by George H. Butcher III

The final chapter of a jaw-dropping exposé about the federal judiciary’s past and present conduct, The Black Wall Of Silence Part IV by George H. Butcher III hammers home a final nail in the coffin of judicial impartiality.

Just a few decades ago, the premise of this four-book series may have seemed like a long-form conspiracy theory, and many of these allegations would have remained unknowable and unprovable in a time before the Internet and collective calls for greater transparency in the judiciary. Today, many will have noticed shifts in America’s federal judiciary and the monumental shifts in apolitical tradition, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-11-04T18:07:33+02:00October 14th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Politics Book Reviews|

Review: Toys in Babylon by Patrick Finegan

Toys in Babylon by Patrick Finegan

Whip-smart satire and a cutting-edge premise make Toys in Babylon: A Language App Parody and Whodunit by Patrick Finegan a tongue-in-cheek romp for savvy language lovers everywhere.

The animated avatars of a popular language-learning app begin to panic when their mascot, Coki Bear, turns up missing, leaving the town of Cokville leaderless. Between filming reality television and responding to the prompts and stories that fuel their online world, these colorful characters hunt for their missing friend, but they’re not the only ones who’ve noticed her absence.

The programmers at the Cok Dilli company are stupefied when their irritatingly attentive brand-name […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-10-14T08:40:45+02:00October 12th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Satire Book Reviews|

Review: Sir DoGoody Button and Fleabins the Great…Troublemaker by K. Frances Carson

A delightful children’s book collecting the exhilarating adventures of two inseparable friends who wreak havoc everywhere they go, Sir DoGoody Button and Fleabins the Great…Troublemaker by K. Frances Carson is a charming work for new readers.

DoGoody is a well-dressed but goofy dog, while Fleabins, always attired in the most elegant garments, is a chaotic creature with a rather high self-esteem. Their explosive friendship turns an ordinary day into a wonderful adventure, sure to leave the Button family speechless, and make readers laugh out loud, as the book contains some authentically hilarious scenes. From a wedding to a public library, […]

Marina Dora Martino2024-10-31T16:35:28+02:00October 11th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Children's Book Reviews, Middle Grade Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The One Week Writing Workshop by Karin Adams

The One Week Writing Workshop by Karin Adams

A DIY guide to bringing your long-imagined story to life, The One Week Writing Workshop: 7 Days to Spark, Boost or Revive Your Novel by Karin Adams is a straightforward and revelatory tool for aspiring novelists of any age or experience level. Proposing that all the necessary knowledge to overcome writer’s block and move forward in your prose can be acquired in the span of a mere week, this step-by-step reintroduction to story-crafting is an essential and inspiring read.

Founded on a core philosophy of Method, Momentum, and Motivation, Adams’ book is broken down into seven comprehensive days of a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-10-31T12:26:06+02:00October 8th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|