Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Gemini Project by Ian Moran

The Gemini Project by Ian Moran

Author Ian Moran paints a terrifying picture of moral collapse in the guise of progress in The Gemini Project, a timely dive into the worst fears of humanity’s fate.

In a climate-ravaged future, society has solved the problem of ecological destruction and greed through a severe yet subtle program of population control. For students at The Corpo Academy for Development, this means being separated from their fathers for the first eighteen years of life, avoiding any education that might inspire critical thought, and dedicating themselves to physical development in preparation for their post-graduation purpose.

Jan Ericson is not your […]

Review: The Velvet Hammer by Chief Judge Belvin Perry, Jr. and Amy Mitchell

The Velvet Hammer by Judge Belvin Perry Jr.

Bridging the traditional boundaries of personal and professional life, Chief Judge Belvin Perry, Jr. offers an eye-opening peek into the American justice system with The Velvet Hammer, a powerful memoir laced with revelatory insight about some of the most memorable, challenging, and heinous cases of his career, including the Casey Anthony case, which brought him intense scrutiny and notoriety.

Born in 1949 and coming of age in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, Perry developed a deep understanding of systemic fractures in America, but also recognized the life-changing leaps toward racial equality that were gained during his generation. […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-08-19T12:59:45+02:00August 19th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: Coincidence, You Say? by Patrick Hogan

Coincidence, You Say? by Patrick Hogan

The story of a determined and principled protector who consistently chose the hard road in his dynamic life, Coincidence, You Say? by Patrick Hogan is a heartfelt memoir and a revelatory snapshot of a different time.

A mischievous child growing up in a picturesque middle-class American life, Hogan offers brief vignettes and glimpses into his youth, as well as his first encounters with coincidences. In numerous instances -often when injury or even death was imminent – he explains a strange experience of time dilation, as though the world would cinematically slow down, leaving him time to react and leave miraculously […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-09T11:27:01+02:00August 18th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|

Review: Where’s Our Purple Heart by Logan Fret

Where's Our Purple Heart by James Linge

Peeling back the complex layers of grief, family, trauma, and secrets, Where’s Our Purple Heart by Logan Fret is a raw examination of the feelings we fear and the memories we bury.

After his gun-loving, hard-drinking, war hero father dies unexpectedly, Todd must navigate a surge of emotions, especially the feelings of relief and a distinct lack of sadness. He struggles to mourn an abusive father who had leveled a murderous threat against him, which forced Todd to hide his queer identity for years and prevented any resolution or authenticity in their relationship. Now, with the main obstacle to his […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-08-16T19:46:48+02:00August 16th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, LGBTQI+ Book Reviews|

Review: A Grand Pause by Gary Santos

A Grand Pause by Gary Santos

Immersing readers in the tension, terror, and unpredictability of war, A Grand Pause: A Novel on May 14, 1945, the USS Randolph, Kamikazes, and the Greatest Air-Sea Rescue by Gary Santos is a uniquely penned blend of historical fact and well-informed fiction.

In the final months of World War II, with unimaginable losses on both sides of every battlefield, the Allied fleet has closed in on Japan, slowly choking the Empire as it island-hops toward a full-scale ground invasion. On May 14, 1945, yet another day that lives in infamy, flight squadrons are finally tasked to attack mainland Japan and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-09T11:25:35+02:00August 8th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: World War II Book Reviews|

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

The Black Wall of Silence: Part 3 by George H. Butcher III

In this third compelling section of George H. Butcher III’s The Black Wall of Silence series, readers are led from the macro issues of judicial impunity in previous installments to the micro level of a number of interlinked and particularly egregious cases in New York state. Examining specific judicial “conduct related to corruption” and utilizing an analytical approach to assess key decisions made by state, federal, and appellate court judges, this book is a methodical and relentless takedown of these “judicial monsters in a real-life horror story.”

While the previous two books in this three-part series addressed many of the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-06T15:54:04+02:00July 31st, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Politics Book Reviews|

Review: Critical Musings from a Traditionalist by Jocelynn Cordes

Critical Musings from a Traditionalist by Jocelynn Cordes

Delivering a wide-ranging and perceptive thesis on the state of American society today, Critical Musings from a Traditionalist by Jocelynn Cordes is a timely piece of social critique.

Presenting a kaleidoscope of anecdotes, events, and key issues reweaving the fabric of modern America, this collection of essays is a carefully crafted hot take on the things that divide us. Whether reflecting on the hidden agenda of recent protest movements, the fundamental shifts happening in our education system, governmental oversight and overreach, or the obsession with defining and defending patriotism, these hard-hitting essays run the gamut of social media, smear campaigns, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-06T15:52:26+02:00July 30th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Politics Book Reviews|

Review: Ira by Jason F. Boggs

Ira by Jason F. Boggs

Packed with dreams of vengeance, intergalactic scheming, and even some sci-fi levity, Ira by Jason F. Boggs is an unpredictable new chapter in the Devil’s Dragon series.

After her epic defeat at the hands of Nelson, Alene, Wong’s Pirates, and an alliance of fearless humans, the villain Ira Bilis has fled to the shelter of the stars, furiously plotting her next move in a war she refuses to abandon. After following a quantum-jumping orb through a sungate to a new star system, Ira finds an enigmatic but untrustworthy ally who sought her out to join forces and rule at her […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-09-06T15:51:26+02:00July 30th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|