SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
This is a classic adventure Bildungsroman of training, failure, revelation, and meaningful battles against increasingly impossible odds, but there are also splashes of humor and connection, a strong […]
Part fictional memoir, part surreal nightmare, with perspective jumps and a flexible take on reality, this novel demands a strong heart from readers. Navigating the tortured recollections of the protagonist, from a childhood of isolation and abuse to the painful mysteries of sex and the opposite sex, and the uncontrollable urge for violence, this is a chilling tale of a young man on the brink. Revenge, savior complexes, twisted relationships, and self-deception […]
Part memoir, part self-help guide, and part philosophical treatise, Stepping Out the Other Side: Finding Purpose Through Adversity by Peter Bell is the engrossing story of the author’s journey through mental illness, which could have stalled or shattered his life, but instead drove him to new levels of purpose and fulfillment.
The journal style of writing at the start of the book is a visceral dive into the emotions and processes of mental illness and professional counseling, while the recovery and resurgence segments of the book are written in a more traditional narrative. The storytelling is unique in its raw, […]
Mobsters with money on the mind and a pope who will stop at nothing to restore his reputation – and the coffers of the church – make this a globe-spanning thrill ride of violence and shadowy conspiracies. Add to that a dauntless, wise-cracking reporter, and a slick art dealer named Wolfgang with Nazi ties, and you have a complex tangle of money, power, history, and deception that will thrill loyal readers of a wide range […]
Vigilante serial killers, dark sacred secrets, and painfully true history collide in A Rose from the Executioner, the gritty new novel from author Edward Izzi. A devious idea to collect life insurance policies by killing off pedophile priests appears to become a horrific reality in Chicago, throwing a Catholic cop onto a tangled trail of mobsters, monsignors, and rose-signed murder scenes.
Despite being a work of fiction, the story is laid on a very real foundation, which ups the narrative stakes from the very beginning. Interspersing the detective’s first-person investigation with expositional chapters and victim/criminal backstories results in a […]
Patiently walking through every step of a business venture in development, this is a broadly accessible and educational book – valuable for amateurs and business veterans alike. The chapters are comprehensive and seemingly exhaustive, yet anything but dull or overly technical. Challenging readers and potential entrepreneurs with pertinent questions, and providing actionable goals and tools for success, this book offers detailed information throughout, not just anecdotal success stories and vague inspirational language.[…]
Two lost souls in search of timeless answers leave all they have known behind in Harvest Moon, Book 4 in Jenny Knipfer’s immersive and emotional By the Light of the Moon series.
The dual stories of Maang-ikwe and Niin-mawin show their vastly different experiences as indigenous people, but as their lives entangle, their natural alliance emerges. While navigating the perils of new social situations and cities, they both struggle to find a genuine balance between where they came from and who they are becoming.
Supported brilliantly by strong secondary characters and foils that leap off the page, rather than […]
Author Regina Toffolo excavates the darkest corners of her life in The Second Child, a memoir spanning decades of childhood instability, familial uncertainty, alcoholism, mental illness, and the unexpected challenges of parenting.
Told in a deeply personal yet accessible way, this book explores the warning signs and roots of addiction, as well as the repercussions of grief and loss that can only be unpacked from the distance of age or experience. The recollections are told in a matter-of-fact way, akin to journal entries, but there are also gut-punch moments that feel both voyeuristic and surprisingly relatable. Navigating wide-ranging subjects […]