New Releases | Self-Publishing Review

Handing Down Hope by Nate Slaymaker

Handing Down Hope by Nate Slaymaker A refreshing and generation-spanning guide towards healthier communication and a brighter future, Handing Down Hope by Nate Slaymaker is a relatable map for the mighty task of parenting, coaching, or managing teenagers.

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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-07T06:53:17+02:00October 7th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Education, Parenting Book Reviews|

Lilly Of The Mountains by D.L. Yoder

Lilly of the Mountains by Daniel Yoder

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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-01-14T07:33:56+02:00October 5th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Women: Down Through the Ages by Jerry Schaefer

Women: Down Through the Ages by Gerald Schaefer

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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-12-07T03:49:14+02:00September 30th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Social Science Book Reviews|

Starlight Legend by Alana Lee

Starlight Legend by Alana Lee An emotional allegory with flairs of Greek mythology, romance, and sci-fi, Starlight Legend by Alana Lee is a heartfelt novel about growing up, finding love, and staying true to yourself.

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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-09-27T08:20:40+02:00September 27th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: YA Fantasy Book Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews|

The Mills Kept Grinding by Martin Smallridge

The Mills Kept Grinding by Martin Smallridge is a harrowing depiction of World War II that fleshes out characters in stark detail – both the good and the brutal – in which readers can eerily see themselves on every side of the conflict. By the end, it is hard to imagine such a brutal and sadistic Europe, which acts as a grim recollection of the past, and a reminder of what humans are capable of in the present and future.

Written as a creative literary exploration of the time period, Smallridge weaves family history, personal narrative, and fictional events into […]

SPR2021-09-22T03:02:02+02:00September 22nd, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews, World War II Book Reviews|

Denham Hall by Bridgette Campbell

Denham Hall by Bridgette Campbell An intimate and articulate confession of youthful curiosity, Denham Hall by Bridgette Campbell is a delightful coming-of-age collection that will transport readers back in time, immersing them in a richly imagined world of self-discovery.

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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-09-10T07:16:41+02:00September 10th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|

A Quantum Alibi by Liam Fialkov

A Quantum Alibi by Liam Fialkov An eyebrow-raising legal thriller with a head-spinning sci-fi underbelly, A Quantum Alibi by Liam Fialkov is an original and timely novel.

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 […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-01-10T15:06:20+02:00August 30th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Girls, Crimes, and the Ruling Body by Barry R. Ziman

Girls, Crimes, and the Ruling Body by Barry R. Ziman Brimming with barely contained tension and a razor-sharp political edge, Girls, Crimes, and the Ruling Body by Barry R. Ziman is a linguistically rich ride through the halls of power.

Ryan McNeil works in the messy world of New York congressional politics, but also gets unwittingly tangled up in the disappearance of a young woman, as one of the last people to see her alive. The high-profile case could tank his career, but also threatens his freedom, leading him and his dauntless girlfriend to begin an investigation of their own, despite the mounting dangers and the target that has settled […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-08-27T02:08:29+02:00August 27th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|