Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Called by Marlena Fiol and Ed O’Connor

Called by Marlena Fiol and Ed O'Connor

Immersing readers in a vibrant slice of the past, Called by Marlena Fiol and Ed O’Connor is an original account of unsung heroism and unwavering faith in the face of impossible odds.

The story begins in the 1940s, as World War II raged and Hitler’s shadow seemed to stretch across the world, even to Paraguay, and right into the lives of Dr. John and Clara Schmidt. While his whirlwind invitation to Paraguay and sudden proposal may have been the tumultuous start of their journey into revolutionary medical practices, the stakes remained just as high in the many decades that followed […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-12-10T08:26:17+02:00October 29th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Biography Book Reviews, History Book Reviews|

Review: Of Prophets and Pinioned Angels by Kyle Fox

Of Prophets and Pinioned Angels by Kyle Fox

Plunging once more into the bleak, battle-scarred existence of Jacobus, the dauntless fallen knight of Korigane, Of Prophets and Pinioned Angels by Kyle Fox is the masterful second book in his Tales of Exile series.

After shearing his way through endless horrors in the first book of the series, this doomed warrior is now tasked by an angel to liberate even more souls from the creeping darkness and brimstone that befell his home. The angel Ezrea tells him of other kingdoms, where other battles must be fought, and more blood must still be spilled, in this dark, mystical, and visceral […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-12-06T04:26:47+02:00October 25th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Valley Fliers by David Boito

Valley Fliers by David Boito

Mystery and amateur sleuthing take to the unconquered skies in Valley Fliers by David Boito, a new standout YA thriller with a spiraling, well-crafted plot. Mysteries abound in this acrobatic novel, replete with drone-toting hitmen and a conspiracy too rich not to be investigated by some would-be sleuths.

With dreams of attending a prestigious aeronautical school, Jay is on the cusp of adulthood, but his head has always been in the clouds, as he navigates model airplanes with expert precision. Turning a hobby into a career means a lot of practice at the local miniature airfield, where there are some […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-12-02T06:07:39+02:00October 22nd, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Trump You by Art Cohen with Dan Good

Trump You by Art Cohen

Capturing the deceitful nature and history of greed that has long defined America’s 45th president, Trump You: Promises, Lies, and Corruption: My Battle with Donald Trump’s Fake University by Art Cohen is a scathing personal memoir of one man’s titanic struggle against a capitalist giant.

Not only functioning as a fascinating, and at times painful-to-believe legal thriller, this book is also a detailed unraveling of the Trump University fraud – a clumsy yet lucrative scheme to cheat thousands of people with empty promises. The name “Trump” alone has become synonymous with a great many things in recent years, but this […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-18T06:16:19+02:00October 17th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Politics Book Reviews|

Review: The Roar of Ordinary by J.C. Foster

The Roar of Ordinary by J. C. Foster

A sibling’s love embraces those he has lost, most especially the brother with whom he grew up and shared ambitions, dreams, and a remarkably mature philosophy in The Roar of Ordinary: Brothers, Sisters, War, and Fate, an emotive memoir by J.C. Foster.

The saga of Foster’s family could begin when his father Chuck, in mid-adolescence, rebelled against his overbearing father and struck out on his own as America was struggling under the deprivations of the Great Depression. That independent spirit undoubtedly influenced both Foster and his younger brother Steve. Two tragic deaths left Chuck alone with an invalid daughter […]

SPR2021-12-01T08:06:22+02:00October 12th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: What’s Wrong With a Pet Dinosaur? by Tony Philips

What's Wrong With a Pet Dinosaur? by Tony Philips

A whimsical, heartfelt, and laugh-out-loud collection of poetry and drawings, What’s Wrong With a Pet Dinosaur? by Tony Philips is a carefree but carefully crafted bundle of fun. Bouncing between surreal slices of fiction and narrative poems about more relatable experiences, the poet takes readers through a wild maze of imagination and the wonders of growing up.

The titular poem is a short and silly one, encapsulating the wry, tongue-in-cheek humor that many of these quippy poems lean into. “What Comes After Z” is longer, and written with more humor, along with some sage wisdom from the mouth of babes. […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-11-24T11:02:15+02:00October 11th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Children's Book Reviews, Poetry Book Reviews|

Review: Of Starlight and Plague by Beth Hersant

Of Starlight and Plague by Beth Hersant

A catastrophic spiral of human folly and unflinching perseverance, Of Starlight and Plague by Beth Hersant is a stunning cautionary tale, and an engrossing dystopian thriller. Whether you’re a lover of zombie fiction or a sucker for stories about genetic engineering, this novel is a slow-burning but riveting ride.

After an impossible-to-predict tragedy robs him of his daughter, shortly after losing his wife, Dr. Aaron Pickman turns a corner in his life. Fueled by grief, he dedicates his life to finding a cure for rabies, the rare culprit in his daughter’s case, while also possibly revolutionizing drug-delivery techniques to the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-07T03:42:57+02:00October 6th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Apocalyptic Fiction Book Reviews, Dystopian Fiction Book Reviews, Zombie Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Unleashing My Superpowers by Dr. Patience Mpofu

Unleashing My Superpowers by Dr. Patience Mpofu

Award-winning mining executive Dr. Patience Mpofu has gleaned recollections from her life experience and offers them with advice, instruction, and encouragement for ambitious women, especially those involved in, or considering, careers in the varying aspects of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), in Unleashing My Superpowers: How to Navigate and Succeed in a Male-Dominated Mining Work Environment.

The author believes she was given the name Patience when her parents, rather dismayed at having a third girl and no sons yet, needed to develop this quality themselves. In their African culture – her father was of the Lemba tribe – […]

SPR2021-10-05T06:36:39+02:00October 5th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Business Book Reviews|