Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Beowulf: A Verse Translation from the Anglo-Saxon by Andrew B. F. Carnabuci

Beowulf: A Verse Translation from the Anglo-Saxon by Andrew B. F. Carnabuci

More than 1,000 years after the epic poem of Beowulf was first penned, Andrew B. F. Carnabuci continues a long tradition of demystification and offers up his own take with Beowulf: A Verse Translation from the Anglo-Saxon.

What remains unchanged in this accessible and unbiased translation is the story itself: the tragic and triumphant life of Beowulf, a great Scandinavian warrior whose bravery and leadership has become the stuff of legend. Beginning with his youthful battles in Denmark against the infamous monster Grendel, and Grendel’s even more malevolent mother, it doesn’t take long for the Beowulf to demonstrate his […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-04-08T11:27:24+02:00March 8th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Poetry Book Reviews|

Review: Growing Pains: Volume 1 (Raw Mind) by Evan McMillan

Growing Pains by Evan McMillan

Evan McMillan releases a torrent of biographical poetry in his raw and unabashed collection Growing Pains: Volume 1 (Raw Mind).

Notably, there is a clear autobiographical story woven through these bursting lines of passion and vulnerability. The poet is a man who has faced numerous heartbreaks and disappointments, he’s been failed by multiple systems, and he has even been betrayed by his own body’s desires, so the collection often feels like a cry of rage into the void.

As he explains in his introduction, there is “… no trying to say the right thing. It’s pure expression, spilling out […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-04-28T04:39:35+02:00March 3rd, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Poetry Book Reviews|

Review: Beezie the Baby Bumble Bee by Dr. David Florence, Illustrated by Jesse Maloney

Beezie the Baby Bumble Bee by Dr. David Florence

Dr. David Florence pens a whimsical and colorful tale for children in Beezie the Baby Bumble Bee, a tender and message-rich tale.

Being a little bee who gets tired on long flights makes it hard to get a full belly of pollen every day. Young Beezie takes an eye-opening adventure, aided by a number of other helpful creatures – and a human honey man – in an effort to get ahead and find some pollen. The wisdom of owls and the generosity of eagles help save the day for this adorable little character.

The subtly beautiful (and occasionally silly) […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-04-06T08:11:01+02:00February 25th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Children's Book Reviews|

Review: Your Next Big Idea by Samuel Sanders

Your Next Big Idea by Samuel Sanders

With drawings, diagrams, and dynamic brain teasing techniques, author and entrepreneur Samuel Sanders presents new ways to look at our habits and problems and create new patterns and solutions, whether in professional or personal life, in Your Next Big Idea: Improve Your Creativity and Problem Solving.

Sanders cites four skills to be examined and developed in the course of his interactive book: innovation, creation, problem solving, and ideation – being “an ace at coming up with ideas.” He asserts that once a reader completes his guide, s/he will be able to come up with 100 meaningful ideas to incorporate […]

SPR2021-04-06T04:18:24+02:00February 25th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Business Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: Beyond the Rainbow by James S. Bergquist

Beyond the Rainbow by James Bergquist

James S. Bergquist delivers a devastating novel of tragedy, deceit, and resilience with Beyond the Rainbow, a heartbreaking tale of perseverance.

After discovering a terrible secret about his troubled ex-partner and young daughter, Ethan does his best to move forward in the relationship and mend some very dangerous wounds. However, he also wields the dark secret like a weapon, or at least a looming threat, and consequently has his life ripped away by a cruel lie. Following the dramatic, stage-setting opening chapters is an in-depth peek at the criminal justice system, as well as the circuitous, time-intensive nature of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-25T08:13:07+02:00February 24th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Operation Oversex by Anthony Robinson

Operation Oversex by Anthony Robinson

Anthony Robinson envisions a bizarre female-fueled future in Operation Oversex, an updated homage to sexy and dystopian sci-fi literature of the past.

When Chad O’Connor and Tyrone Jackson sign up for a groundbreaking experiment in cryotechnology, they hardly expect to overshoot their wake-up window by more than five decades. They re-emerge in 2083, amidst a post-nuclear landscape, unaware that this new world is completely barren of men, though their strangely stoic caretakers immediately hint that something has gone terribly wrong.

After slipping free from the clutches of the all-powerful Union, Chad and Tyrone encounter the resistance army – battle-hardened […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-04-01T08:03:37+02:00February 21st, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Satire Book Reviews, Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Trouble Isla by Lynda L. Lock

Trouble Isla by Lynda L. Lock

Author Lynda L. Lock dives deeper into the murderous side of paradise in Trouble Isla, the second installment of her Isla Mujeres Mystery series. Following the treasure-laden introduction to this female-driven series, Lock’s sophomore offering is packed with new mysteries to unravel, new dangers to dodge, and new hangovers to survive.

The serial killer from Book 1 may be in custody, but it doesn’t mean that the lives of Jessica, Yasmin, or Carlos are getting back to normal. When Carlos disappears without warning and threatening notes begin to arrive, the pace kicks into high gear for an adrenaline-fueled romp […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-04-01T04:19:37+02:00February 21st, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Mystery Book Reviews|

Review: Tales from Ara 1: Into the Unknown by Gleem

Tales from Ara 1: Into the Unknown by Gleem

Tales from Ara 1: Into the Unknown is a wild and tempting fantasy romp through a new world, penned by the unique writing team known as Gleem.

A young erotic fantasy writer named Harlette seems to be losing her creative spark when she is transported through a mirror into another dimension – the unbelievable realm of Ara. Once she realizes her new environment isn’t a dream, the high-spirited protagonist with a penchant for puppy love is thrown into the midst of chaotic power struggles in an elven kingdom.

However, Harlette and her trusty, occasionally chatty cat Bernard didn’t land […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-04-11T09:33:52+02:00February 20th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Erotic Book Reviews, Fantasy Book Reviews|