New Releases

SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books

Pricking Balloons by James C. MacDonald

Pricking Balloons by James C. MacDonald A mournful and musing collection of poetry in every form, Pricking Balloons by James C. MacDonald is both existential and immediate, dissecting a myriad of events, ideas, and feelings through his unique lens.

Divided into four sections titled with names of cities, some poems do feel tied to locations, but many others are biblical, philosophical, familial, and nonspecific. The New Orleans pieces feel like poetic questions, touching on sacred words and secret messages, ideals, and beliefs, but there are also intimate snapshot poems of tragedy and change, such as “The Little Girl in the Canal Street Mall” and “Crescent City […]

2022-01-04T11:01:24+02:00January 2nd, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Sortilege by Linda Gibson

Sortilege by Linda GibsonAn intricately crafted and gorgeously written inter-textual novel that weaves two interrelated stories together, Linda Gibson’s Sortilege is a must-read for fans of hybrid works and metanarratives.

In the contemporary plotline, a woman in her thirties named Emily (“Em” for short) is blundering through post-divorce existence after moving back home. The stories of two other women cross into Em’s tale, one of whom is reading a gothic-style novel that becomes the second main plotline of the novel.

Despite how confusing these braided pieces might sound, the author handles this Gordian knot of a narrative with style and grace. The novel […]

2022-01-03T11:01:49+02:00December 28th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Masters of the Craft by Don Gutteridge

Masters of the Craft by Don Gutteridge A poetic collection dedicated to writers who have changed the world with words, Masters of the Craft by Don Gutteridge is an impressive homage to the written word and a pleasure to read.

From Shakespeare and Shelley to Blake and Wilde, each poem upon these pages honors the skill and impact of a legendary lyricist. Importantly, Gutteridge knows the work of these masters intimately enough to gift them a worthy tribute: “the fury / of his fame could not save him / from the ruin of Reading Gaol / and he perished a pauper in Paris,” or “There isn’t a […]

2021-12-20T09:02:12+02:00December 17th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

An Echo Through Time by Nicholas Licalsi

An Echo Through Time by Nicholas Licalsi A mind-bending, perspective-shifting novel about self-knowledge, fate, and the tragic nature of young love, An Echo Through Time by Nicholas Licalsi is a thrilling and original read.

Todd has moved through a thousand lifetimes across countless universes, but when this unassuming “time lord” chooses a peaceful finale to his endless journey, he realizes that some answers still elude him. After sharing his secret powers with his high-school sweetheart, Gretchen, she dies in a horrible accident, driving Todd to find some universal timeline where her compassion and understanding survive beyond March 21st. When thousands of accidental deaths escalate into murder, Todd […]

The Devil May Care by J. Lyndon Hickman

The Devil May Care by J. Lyndon HickmanA laugh-out-loud novel about a debut author who offends Lucifer himself, J. Lyndon Hickman’s The Devil May Care is a hellishly smart book of comic brilliance.

Ted Granville works a horrible newspaper job and has a terrible boss, so he decides to write a Freudian text called “The Devil and the Id” to try to prompt a career change. But when his Devil-denying book becomes a hit, Satan and his followers have a bone to pick with Ted. Enter Chester Ambrose, one of Lucifer’s lackeys, who’s tasked with convincing Ted to write a second book praising the Devil. Chester will […]

2021-12-08T08:39:41+02:00December 7th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Isn’t It Kind of Funny That… by Jerry Schaefer

Isn't It Kind of Funny That... by Jerry Schaefer Visionary investigations into the self and challenging existential questions fill the pages of Isn’t It Kind of Funny That…, a mind-opening read by author Jerry Schafer, with illustrations by Gabriel Berron.

The questions posed in this engaging and welcoming tome are put forward in a nearly playful way, but they hit at some of the most paradoxical trends in human nature: our variable/situational trust in science, our constant cognition as an obstacle, our stubbornness towards progress, and our fear of potentially beneficial change, among others. By prying into the metacognitive realms, Schafer is able to use simple language and […]

They Only Wear Black Hats by Edward Izzi

They Only Wear Black Hats by Edward Izzi A gritty, brutal, and relentless thriller, They Only Wear Black Hats by Edward Izzi is another dark gem from this author, pulling back the sinister curtain of human nature and navigating the complex realms of justice.

Detective Palazzola prowls the haunts of Detroit, scarred by his own baggage, but tireless in his hunt for criminals. When the bad guys start ending up dead, his investigation leads him into a melodrama of vengeance, where the lines of law blur or disappear entirely. As the body count begins to climb, this grizzled cop must choose between the oaths of his profession, the […]

2021-12-07T05:44:09+02:00December 7th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

The Quantum Life by Dr. M. Teri Daunter

The Quantum Life by Dr. M. Teri Daunter From entanglement and neuroplasticity to immortality, Reiki, and Eastern medicine, The Quantum Life by Dr. M. Teri Daunter represents a unique philosophical bridge between the spiritual and scientific worlds. Daunter lays out how to breach this perennial divide by moving away from traditional orthodoxy and towards an intimate personal relationship with one’s own potential, through the power of consciousness, focus, awareness, and analysis.

Interdimensional study through quantum spirituality may sound like a formidable undertaking, but the book presents an intuitive path for progress, utilizing personal anecdotes, scientific research, and philosophical sermons to reach some truly stunning conclusions. Having spent a […]

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