SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
Just as months and seasons have their own personalities, Johnson has grouped these haikus under loose themes – “January” questions independence and personal disappointment, “February” focuses on the trials and triumphs of family, “March” is a series of prayers and reflections on divinity, and so on throughout the year. Whether readers consume this […]
Navigating the assassination attempt of her dear friend Father Melvyn, Mrs. B. is back in the hunt for the would-be killer with quiet determination, wicket wit, and her feline-boosted sleuthing skills. The crime hits close to home, and brings her even closer to Detective Jake, adding strong emotional tension to an already taut narrative.
Balanced well between bursts of action, lightbulbs of discovery, intimate moments of reflection, and meticulously written dialogue, Della Notte […]
This short, easily readable book contains 35 poems, all focused on similar themes of wishing for companionship. The female-coded narrator expresses her desire for a girlfriend and imagines what they could do together: activities like going to the fair, having a picnic, making art, watching movies, baking cupcakes, stargazing, and attending Pride.
Scheck’s tight focus on simple activities – as opposed to over-the-top romantic gestures – effectively highlights the intensity of longing for basic […]
Kat Robbins may not be afraid of anything, not even a great white looking for a scuba diver dinner, but that doesn’t make her isolated life on an Arctic icebreaker any less monotonous. The bleak endless ocean means plenty of time to ruminate on the shadows of her past, until a mysterious wreck draws the crew into dark and uncertain waters. Stranded in an icy expanse and stalked by an ancient, life-sucking evil, the crew of Soviet misfits, suspicious […]
A murder inside an immersive virtual reality world called SCAPE leaves investigators terrified and mystified by the implications. Identifying a deadly flaw in an escapist platform that serves billions brings up an impossible question: what are the true boundaries of reality? If our mind believes something deeply enough, can it be manifested with deadly consequences? Bringing the story home for today’s readers, the novel questions […]
Bouncing between our real-world present and an uncertain imagined fate, Fleisher takes readers through a sci-fi envisioning of pandemic-peppered decades ahead, and the desperate decisions the world must make to ensure humanity’s survival. Society has never stood on a more fragile precipice, and while the Domed Generation of the 2050s is growing used to life inside, protected from the “alien” atmosphere, the increased susceptibility to respiratory disease makes remaining populations dangerously […]
Three intensely told stories capped off with a visceral crime novella, this is a seemingly easy escapist read, but the writing is smart and deeper than expected, from high-stakes morality parables to and illicit adventures that quickly get out of hand. O’Neill focuses a bit more on fast-talking dialogue and action sequences than he does on character development, but the world-building is immersive, with colloquial bits of nuance and detail that make the rugged scenes come […]
Elyse and Jeff are the electric core of this wondrous story, which doesn’t shy away from the complications and pain that powerful connections can bring about. Delving into transient and adventure-seeking lifestyles and belief systems, the pair must navigate the unforgiving wilds of California, along with […]