Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Art Stone by Jesse A. Ellis

The Art Stone by Jesse A. Ellis

An unlikely group of young heroes converges for an epic quest to defend an ancient artifact in The Art Stone by Jesse A. Ellis, the first book of the Echoes of Elybion series. In classic fantasy fashion, the stakes are infinitely high, and the odds of success are incredibly slim.

The transformation of these adolescent characters over the course of the novel is remarkable; managing a coming-of-age story for multiple main players is ambitious, but Ellis pulls it off well. As their mystical world continues to crumble, a long-lost stone – one of the first twelve creation stones from the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-09-16T09:08:44+02:00September 15th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, YA Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Wayfinder: The Path from Pain to Purpose by Emma Bennett

Wayfinder: The Path from Pain to Purpose by Emma Bennett

Emma Bennett offers valuable insight and access to information about self-enlightenment and spiritual growth in her new book Wayfinder: The Path from Pain to Purpose.

Crossing boundaries into numerous genres, from memoir and philosophy to new-age spirituality and self-help, this book is compelling, challenging, and painful, at times, particularly for those who have experienced trauma of their own. Fortunately, Bennett is a sensitive, thoughtful, and confident writer, with a clear desire to help others change their lives, or at least their mindset.

Unpacking the apparent conflict between “sacred” and “logical,” and combining spiritual ideas with science and reason, this […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-12T02:34:29+02:00September 9th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews, Spirituality Book Reviews|

Review: Somewhere in Persia: Memoirs of a War Correspondent by Dward Lee Greenbird

Somewhere in Persia: Memoirs of a War Correspondent by Dward Lee Greenbird

The observations, writings, poems, photos and jokes created by his father, Sam Greenberg, in service overseas in World War II fill the highly readable biographical portrait by author Dward Lee Greenbird, Somewhere in Persia: Memoirs of a War Correspondent.

Greenberg, born in 1912, was a newspaper staff writer when the war broke out, enlisted and became a war correspondent stationed in an army garrison on the Persian Gulf in Iran. Described by his son as a “happy guy,” Greenberg saved and sometimes sent home photos of the foreign countries he inhabited or visited. The material in this memoir comes […]

SPR2020-10-06T06:32:58+02:00September 7th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, World War II Book Reviews|

Review: The Secret Diaries of Juan Luis Vives by Tim Darcy Ellis

The Secret Diaries of Juan Luis Vives by Tim Darcy Ellis

Steeped in court drama, forbidden love, and the tension of dark history, The Secret Diaries of Juan Luis Vives is the swirling, beautifully penned new novel from Tim Darcy Ellis. Based largely on true events and figures, this intense tale shines a new light on the motives and machinations of English royalty in the mid-16^th century.

Juan Luis Vives, a “New Christian” fleeing from the shadow of the Spanish Inquisition, and the anti-Semitism that flowed so freely in the 1500s, is trying to survive and stay outside of suspicion in Bruges. A chance encounter with Sir Thomas More upends […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-09-24T07:10:10+02:00September 3rd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Happiness Journal by Viet Hung

The Happiness Journal by Viet Hung

Author and entrepreneur Viet Hung offers an engaging collection of astute observations, motivations, and encouragements aimed at promoting a calmer, more enlightened perspective in The Happiness Journal.

As Hung reminds us in his Foreword, throughout our lives, we generally “plan to get one thing done, but then usually something different happens.” To accept the ever-changing array of events requires inner preparedness. Hung believes this can often be achieved through the practice of self-examination and mindfulness. The helpful selections he has chosen were originally composed for himself – mostly short essays or commentaries – divided into three sections: “Sensing Happiness,” […]

SPR2020-09-03T02:51:06+02:00September 2nd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: Dragon’s Mist by Randy Cruts, Art by Marco Cosentino

Dragon's Mist by Randy Cruts

Author Randy Cruts and artist Marco Cosentino deliver a wickedly entertaining YA graphic novel in Dragon’s Mist, an unexpectedly riveting ride through the imagination of a young boy, Charlie. Imaginary friends and epic quests are a staple of childhood, making this book deeply relatable for young readers, and nostalgia-inducing for older ones.

After a chance encounter with an Irish priest – a water-loving cousin of dragons – Charlie’s imagination springs to life, spinning out an entire world of adventures to explore. The regular introduction of new characters, from god-like guardians and titanic best friends to shape-shifting villains and avian […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-10-05T07:33:23+02:00September 1st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Comics & Graphic Novels Reviews, Fantasy Book Reviews, YA Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Programming the Brain by Chandana Watagodakumbura

Professor and scientist Chandana Watagodakumbura examines the complex relationship between brain structure, neurological functioning, and how people behave based on their learning in Programming the Brain: Educational Neuroscience Perspective: Pedagogical Practices and Study Skills for Enhanced Learning and Metacognition.

As Watagodakumbura describes, educators are constantly exploring and quantifying the ways that students learn, in order to teach them most effectively. Neuroscience, a relatively new discipline, can offer insight into these processes, since human evolution parallels the evolution of the brain and neural system.

A salient example of the author’s thesis is presented in the introduction, looking at the difference […]

SPR2020-10-02T01:20:04+02:00August 29th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Education, Science Book Reviews|

Review: The Cat That Ate a Thousand Bananas by Hank Mancini

The Cat That Ate a Thousand Bananas by Hank Mancini

Musings and delightful vignettes, served with a healthy dose of humor, form the basis for The Cat That Ate a Thousand Bananas: Musings of a Nerd by Hank Mancini.

Without a doubt, Mancini’s title immediately draws in the reader, though the book has nothing to do with a cat that has a penchant for eating lots of bananas, which speaks to the book’s looseness and fun sense of whimsy. Part memoir and part musings, Mancini admits that the stories he tells are about events in his life that he hopes his family will find funny – though that is not […]

Marta Cheng2020-10-01T02:10:15+02:00August 27th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews|