SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
In a dystopian future, one young girl embarks on a journey to discover her birthright as she searches for someone she loves after he mysteriously disappeared in a vicious blizzard. However, she won’t be alone in her search – not after learning that her grandmother was once a legendary protector of the narwhals, just like her missing grandfather. As Nadia’s heroic young eyes are opened to […]
Through his own experiences with foster children, generations of students, and other assorted teenagers coming in and out of his life – some with significant challenges and unfair amounts of baggage – Slaymaker has constructed a succinct catalogue of lessons learned. The chapter framing is intriguing, laying out both the common errors and more effective strategies as binaries – rather than acting purely as a “how-to” book, it […]
Tragedy, greed, desire and freedom collide in Lilly of the Mountains by D.L. Yoder, a 1940s period novel of Colorado homestead life and the sweet satisfaction of self-discovery.
The fearless widow at the heart of this story is unrelenting in her quest for independence and true liberation – from money, from men, and from societal expectations. The forces that conspire to control her, woo her, or continue the patriarchal reign of her recent years, are no match for the cleverness and sheer will that this entrancing protagonist brings to every scene.
From the gossipy nature of small mountain towns to […]
Women: Down Through the Ages by Jerry Schaefer is a sweeping, millennia-spanning study of how women have been categorically, intentionally, and cruelly excluded as equals in society. Whereas women were once revered as life bringers, worshipped as goddesses, and deferred to in matters of leadership, which drastically changed over the course of the past 2,500 years, this book outlines how and why that evolutionary regression took place.
In a raw and brutally honest historical review, Schaefer addresses a laundry list of areas where women have been forbidden from progress – from religious customs that have metastasized to define social and […]
Elliana is just a high school senior trying to end her romantic drought with a dreamy date to the spring formal, but destiny has other plans for this heartbroken heroine. Born as an “old soul in a new world,” it isn’t long before Elliana summons herself to the fantasy realm that has filled her dreams.
After passing through the Tree Portal into the Seeking Realm, she embarks on an existential […]
Written as a creative literary exploration of the time period, Smallridge weaves family history, personal narrative, and fictional events into […]
With a style best described as a mashup of journaling, podcasting, amateur investigating, and journalism, readers are gently pulled into the dramatic walls of Rickmansworth Young Ladies College, where egos, surnames, and snobbery rule the roost. For Bridgette Campbell, however, and her small circle of fiercely loyal friends, Denham Hall is a playground of imagination and exploration.
The language used by the author is pristine and […]
Patrick Eldridge is a renowned scientist challenging the highest halls of scientific power, and everything we think we know about reality. Being in two places at the same time may be the perfect alibi for murder, but all is not what it seems. As the Eldridge family secrets are unearthed, the mysteries of the quantum universe take a backseat to the timeless follies of humanity, brotherhood, and mankind’s endless quest for greatness. Defying classification in a particular genre, Fialkov […]